


Wisteria

by novocaine_sea



Series: Wisteria [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Autism Spectrum, Autistic Ushijima Wakatoshi, Falling In Love, Jealousy, M/M, flower shop au, t for language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-03 18:46:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10973184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/novocaine_sea/pseuds/novocaine_sea
Summary: Wisteria: used to express affection after meeting someone special for the first time or serious devotion whether to a cause or a personOikawa Tooru was having a terrible morning, taking the phrasewaking up on the wrong side of the bedliterally. He was extremely late for work, but things seemed to fall into place when he stumbled upon a small flower shop that appeared to have been broken into and robbed.





	1. daffodil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really excited to share this with all of you, it's something I've been working on for a while now. I hope you enjoy! There will be four chapters in total and they are all written already, so no worries about this falling off the face of the planet!  
> Happy reading~

Oikawa Tooru had seen better days. He awoke that morning feeling particularly drowsy, so much so that he tripped on the covers getting out of bed, slamming his bad knee onto the hardwood floor of his bedroom. He barely had enough time to catch himself with his hands splayed in front of him; if he didn’t, his nose would definitely have been gushing blood and it would have taken too long to stop. And it didn’t get much better after that. After getting out of the shower, he saw that the time was _eight_ fifteen instead of _seven_ fifteen, inevitably meaning he would be late for work. Thankfully there were no wardrobe malfunctions.

Although, he did dodge one after a mishap with the keurig - in which he forgot to put his mug underneath the spout and hot coffee splashed all over the countertop. Oikawa was finally out the door once he cleaned up, clad in a slick black suit. Underneath he wore a green dress shirt neatly tucked into his slacks, no tie present around his neck. His shoes were a dull gray, making his outfit a little mismatched; he supposed it was already a terrible outfit with his bright green shirt. The only positive thing about his appearance was that there was not one shiny brown hair out of place atop his head. Well, there was always that one unruly lock that stuck up from the center of his scalp, but there was not much he could do about that.

On his walk to work, his phone started going off in his pocket. He knew who it was even before he picked up the call.

“Iwa-chan!” Oikawa greeted with a press of the phone to his ear.

“ _Oi, where the fuck are you? You were supposed to be here an hour ago!_ ” Iwaizumi Hajime shouted into the receiver. Oikawa had known Iwaizumi since he was a small child and the two had been close ever since, going to the same middle school and high school, where they played volleyball together. Breaking apart to go to university was both a blessing and a curse, but somehow they were drawn back together in the same office under the same boss. Oikawa thought it was fate; Iwaizumi thought it was an unfortunate coincidence. Not that they hadn’t remained close after high school. In fact, they saw each other often during university.

Iwaizumi just liked the space he had away from Oikawa. And now he had to see him six out of seven days a week. Despite everything, he did love Oikawa like a brother. He just had a funny way of showing it.

“I had a late start but don’t worry, I’ll be there soon! I know how much you miss my gorgeous face, Iwa-chan.” Oikawa assured cheerily. He was trying to keep his chin up, but today was just not his day.

Iwaizumi snorted on the other line. “ _Yeah, okay. Just make sure you get here before Sawamura-san chews me out for your ass not being here._ ”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Dai-chan isn’t that scary, y’know.”

“ _Don’t call our boss ‘Dai-chan.’ It’s creepy._ ” Iwaizumi let out another sigh before hanging up. Oikawa hummed in laughter and shoved his phone back into the pocket of his slacks, unbothered by the interaction. Iwaizumi was brash like that; he had been since they were young boys, so Oikawa was used to it.

Oikawa whistled a tune to himself. He usually walked to work, as his apartment complex was not that far from his office building. It was a particularly nice day out, thankfully, nice enough to brighten his mood. As he walked down the street it was practically empty save for a few older men and women meandering, gazing into shop windows. Oikawa gave them kind smiles and kept on his way.

He was almost to his building and could see it in the distance, when he felt the crunch of glass beneath the soles of his shoes. Oikawa stopped in his tracks, his perfectly plucked eyebrows creasing together in confusion. How was it that there was broken glass littering the sidewalk and nobody had done anything about it? How long had it been like this? His eyes trailed along the source of the mess and found a shattered glass door with a _We Are CLOSED_ sign hanging lopsidedly from a pin on the outside. The sign belonged to a small flower shop, large potted plants sitting outside in the sun. Soil was scattered in the front of the shop, indicating that whoever had done this had intentionally knocked over some of the pots. Through the empty space where the glass had once stood, Oikawa could see one single person, a man, standing in the center of the store, obviously distressed.

Oikawa knew that he should just keep walking; he was _so_ close to his office building. He was already late, and Iwaizumi, as well as his boss Daichi, were going to be pissed if he didn’t show up in the next five minutes. However, he found himself pondering what kind of person would break into a flower shop, a store that held something so lovely and delicate.

His natural inclination was to step into the flower shop and help out in any way he could.

Upon further speculation, he was glad that he had done so. The inside bestowed more broken glass, along with messy piles of soil and pitiful flowers strewn everywhere. It looked as if a stampede had come through and trampled along every single flower bed. The cash register drawer was open, not a single piece of yen in sight. Clearly, the shop had been robbed.

Why was the only employee standing there, doing nothing, instead of cleaning up?

“Excuse me.” Oikawa stepped closer to the man, who flinched at the sound of Oikawa’s voice. Oikawa ignored it. The man, whose name tag read _USHIJIMA_ , was tugging at the olive green locks of hair and gnawing at cracked lips. There was a bit of blood pooling between his teeth and the space where he chewed through the skin of his lip; a little swipe of tongue wiped it away. Ushijima almost paid no attention to Oikawa coming towards him. The only indication that he knew Oikawa was in his peripheral was the flicker of nervous moss green eyes.

“Would you like me to call the police?” Oikawa asked slowly, stopping his movements when he noticed Ushijima tensing up. Ushijima was a bit taller than him, probably by a good three to four inches. The rigidness in his shoulder only added to his height.

Oikawa waited a moment for a response but Ushijima didn’t say a word. Oikawa clicked his tongue. He wondered why he never saw this flower shop before, as it was so close to his office and surrounded by various fast food chains.

“Did you hear me?” Oikawa snapped and Ushijima flinched once more, body curling away from him. Oikawa didn’t realized he raised his voice, he took a deep breath and lowered the volume of his voice. “I can call the police if you need me too. It’s clear that you were robbed. Are you hurt?”

Ushijima shook his head slightly and kept his eyes averted away from Oikawa, focused on the variety of dead flowers littering the floor.

“If you don’t want me to call the police, I can help you clean up.” Oikawa didn’t know why he even bothered. Maybe it was the helpless look on the other man’s face. Maybe he was just trying to get in his one good deed of the day. Maybe it was his way of making himself feel better because of the shitty start to his day; at least his day wasn’t _this_ shitty, right?

“The… The camellias are supposed to…. be over there.” Ushijima spoke for the first time, and the roughness of his voice surprised Oikawa. His voice was deep and definitely fit his body type, large and broad. For some reason Oikawa had expected it to come out small.

Ushijima guided Oikawa with his pointer finger, and his eyes wandered over to the camellias' proper place. Oikawa didn’t know what camellias looked like since he never spent much time focusing on different flowers. The most he knew were roses, cherry blossoms, and maybe even hydrangeas. But camellias?

“Why don’t we start with trash bags?” Oikawa asked, looking around. He should really go, but every time he tried to step away, he felt a tug in his chest that rooted him in his spot as he stared at the scattered flowers.

Ushijima shook his head. “We cannot throw away the flowers.”

Oikawa raised an eyebrow. “But they’ve been knocked out of the pot, you can’t just-”

“I will save them.” Ushijima crouched down and began plucking each individual flower off the ground. They looked so small compared to the larger size of his hand. He was murmuring something under his breath and when Oikawa leaned forward a bit he realized Ushijima was _apologizing_ to the flowers as he lifted them gently into his fist. Oikawa thought it was strange, but most certainly endearing. This man clearly loved these flowers and Oikawa couldn’t imagine how wrecked he must have felt when he first walked in that morning, seeing the state of the flower shop.

This was what made Oikawa stay and help him clean up.

There was still this kind of hopeless look in Ushijima’s eyes as they plucked each flower from the spilled soil one by one. They didn’t say much; Oikawa could tell that Ushijima was still uncomfortable by his presence but his shoulders loosened a little as more time passed. Oikawa wanted to make light conversation but he was worried about stressing Ushijima out further.

Once all the flowers were picked up and gingerly placed on the table, Oikawa brushed his pants off. There was a little bit of dirt, but it was a small sacrifice to pay for helping Ushijima out.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to call the police?” He checked the time on his phone; it was almost nine-thirty and he knew he probably wouldn’t be at the office until ten. There were five missed calls from Iwaizumi and one from Daichi. That was never good. Instead of taking care of it, however, he just shoved the phone in his pocket.

“No.” Ushijima answered, beginning to pick up broken pottery shards from where the flower pots smashed against the tan tiles on the floor.

“You shouldn’t do that with your bare hands…” Oikawa mumbled but Ushijima didn’t hear him. The register was still opened, empty from the raid on the shop. “Whoever did this stole all your money.”

“It has happened before.” Ushijima said without looking back at him. His shoulders were tense again and Oikawa yearned to reach out and soothe him with a gentle touch.

Oikawa gaped at his broad back instead. “If it’s happened before shouldn’t you report it? So they can find who did this? Do you have security cameras?”

“I….” Ushijima’s movements were jerky and Oikawa regretted bombarding him with questions. “I will be fine.”

Oikawa let out a defeated sigh before pulling his wallet out of his pocket. He had a couple of business cards in there, and he felt weird leaving without at least giving Ushijima his number. The situation didn’t call for that, but he wanted to at least do something. His number probably wasn’t the right thing; Oikawa rationalized that if this happened again, Ushijima would hopefully call him.

Oikawa placed the card harshly onto the counter. “Here’s my business card if you need anymore help. I’ll… I’ll probably stop by after work.” Why was he acting like this man’s keeper? “When does the shop close?”

“Sundown.” Ushijima replied automatically.

Oikawa nodded. Sundown… That would be around seven that night. He would have to make some excuse to leave early. “Alright. Would it be okay if I stopped by?”

It was only a slight movement but Ushijima nodded.

Oikawa smiled brightly. “Great! Then I’ll see you then Ushijima-san! Please call the police if you see fit!” With one last flash of his pearly whites, he walked out. Ushijima didn’t say anything or look at him, just kept picking up broken pottery. Oikawa didn’t pay that any mind and as he closed the distance between the shop and the office, he hummed a happy tune.

The happy tune faded as he pushed open the double doors, putting on a sweet smile for the secretary, and made his way to the elevator. He knew he was in for some deep shit as soon as he stepped out of the elevator doors and onto the floor he worked on. Especially since when the doors slid open and Iwaizumi was standing right there, sleeves rolled up to his elbows with his arms crossed over his chest. He wore a less than pleased expression on his face.

“Good morning Iwa-chan!” Oikawa cheered, breezing by him.

“Oikawa, what the _fuck_ ?” Iwaizumi exclaimed. Heavy footsteps sounded behind him but Oikawa just kept walking. When he reached his desk he started to get settled. His office wasn’t really _his_ as he shared it with Iwaizumi and their coworker Kuroo Tetsurou. It was a large enough space for the three of them and they were able to get everything done without too many distractions.All of them were journalists, each other’s editors for publishing but given separate stories to follow. They usually worked local, getting the stories about businesses and crimes. Sometimes, however, they went out of town to get the scoop on other cities outside of their hometown. They enjoyed those stories the most.

Kuroo was sitting at his desk and started whistling, ignoring this little spat they were having. He was used to it. Oikawa too. Iwaizumi was always yelling at him. Oikawa’s bad habits and mischievousness always provoked Iwaizumi.

This was one of those instances.

“Why are you late?” Iwaizumi badgered him. “Last time I talked to you you were leaving. You said you would be here soon and it took you an hour!”

“I got caught up in something.” Oikawa stated casually while turning on his computer. He wasn’t even looking at Iwaizumi and he could tell his best friend was fuming and red in the face, steam coming out his ears.

“You got _caught up in something_? Enlighten us, please.”

“Oh, leave me out of this.” Kuroo held his hands up in defense, eyes never straying from the monitor.

Oikawa turned in his chair to grin at Iwaizumi. “I did a good deed, Iwa-chan. You should be proud of me.”

Iwaizumi snorted. “I don’t believe you.”

“I did! This man had his flower shop broken into so I helped him clean up.”

Kuroo burst into uncontrollable laughter and Iwaizumi ran a hand down his face. “This is the worst lie you’ve ever told.”

Oikawa glanced over at him, a pout forming on his lips. “I’m not lying! It’s true!”

“Who the fuck breaks into a _flower shop_? You think I’m such an idiot that I’m going to believe that?!” Iwaizumi shouted at him. Anybody walking by would think that Iwaizumi was actually the boss. A throat being cleared in the doorway of their office caught their attention. The real boss, Sawamura Daichi, was standing there with a broad smile on his face that they all knew was forced. That made Oikawa pale and Kuroo turned his attention back to his work.

“Oikawa!” Daichi grinned jovially, although it was evident that he was not in a good mood. “Nice to see today. How’s your work coming along?”

Oikawa licked his lips. “Ah, well, I actually just stepped in but I’ll get on it right now, Dai-chan!”

The grin melted off of Daichi’s face instantly. “Report to me by your lunch break, Oikawa- _san_.” Then he swiftly walked out of the room in order to berate other members of his staff. Oikawa released the breath he was holding in.

“I was being serious about the flower shop.” Oikawa continued, the statement directed at Iwaizumi.

“What was it called then?” Iwaizumi settled into his own desk, clicking away on his mouse.

Oikawa squinted at the monitor as he thought. He… didn’t actually know the name of it. Iwaizumi would probably be able to guess if he quickly looked it up while he was trying to come up with an answer. He was good at point out Oikawa’s bullshit like that.

“I didn’t catch the name.” Oikawa admitted honestly. “But it’s right down the road so you can see for yourself! And look Iwa-chan, I have dirt underneath my fingernails! How’s that for evidence?”

Iwaizumi didn’t look up. “That doesn’t prove anything. You could’ve just been doing something disgusting.”

Oikawa pouted at him. “I gave the owner my number, so if he calls then you’ll have your proof then!”

“So you were flirting?”

“What? No! I was _helping_.”

It was Kuroo’s turn to cackle. “Oikawa, you’re the biggest flirt on this floor right next to Sugawara. You’re digging yourself into an early grave.”

Oikawa threw his hands up with an exasperated sigh. “Fine! Don’t believe me, you mean, big… meanies.”

Iwaizumi shook his head and let the argument fizzle out, knowing he wouldn’t get very far if he continued. Oikawa just glared at him through his bangs and looked at his own desktop, deciding to ignore both Iwaizumi and Kuroo until lunch. He had work to do anyway or else Daichi was going to kill him. Daichi was probably very capable, too, and could make it look like an accident.

Oikawa ended up working through his lunch break and didn’t even realize it, but he got his project done and sent it through to Daichi for review. Then he sat back and, well, fucked around until Daichi emailed him back.

“Hey Iwa-chan?” Oikawa asked, dragging his finger in circles over the surface of his desk. Iwaizumi exhaled slowly from the other side of the room.

Iwaizumi’s brow twitched with irritation even before he responded. “What?”

“How’s Akaashi-kun?” Oikawa glanced over to watch Iwaizumi’s features soften at the mention of his boyfriend’s name. Oikawa grinned to himself, successful in his attempt to lighten Iwaizumi’s mood and take the focus off of him.

Akaashi Keiji was Iwaizumi’s boyfriend of about four or five years. They lived together but it was almost like they didn’t, as Akaashi traveled overseas for work and was barely ever in his own apartment. Oikawa didn’t have any clue how Iwaizumi had snagged such a catch for a boyfriend but, he had to admit the two were cute together. Akaashi was the best at giving advice and whenever Oikawa was in a rough spot he would often go to Akaashi for help.

“He’s fine. Coming home soon.” Iwaizumi leaned back and ran his fingers through his hair.

Oikawa raised his eyebrows at the shortness of the comment. “Where was he again?”

“Haiti.”

Akaashi was an anthropologist, often spending months on end in another country doing research. Iwaizumi met Akaashi on the job in fact, which was probably why they were so compatible. Akaashi worked in a small village in Haiti and told Oikawa once that Haiti felt more like home than Japan. He even confessed that if he weren’t with Iwaizumi he would move down to Haiti permanently. Oikawa was amazed by the passion he had for his job, but also the love he had for Iwaizumi. Oikawa didn’t know if he could ever do that for somebody he loved. Then again, he often put work before anybody else, even himself sometimes.

“Are you going to take him out when he gets back?” Oikawa asked, using Iwaizumi in order to distract him from his own work.

“I’m not playing twenty questions with you today, Shittykawa.” Iwaizumi gruffed and angrily hit his space bar.

Oikawa pouted and sighed, pulling up a game on his own computer. He had to pass the time somehow and if Iwaizumi wasn’t going to fill the silence then Kuroo definitely wasn’t going to open his mouth. A game, probably pinball, would have to do.

* * *

 

Once Daichi emailed him back an hour or two later, Oikawa was able to slip out of the office with only mild questioning from Iwaizumi. The latter stopped caring after Oikawa starting going on a spiel about “ _how much his Iwa-chan cared for him._ ” Then Iwaizumi just yelled at him to get out of the office before he killed him. Oikawa skipped out of the room with the sound of Kuroo’s laughter following him. He said goodbye to the secretary in the lobby before pushing out into the late afternoon air. He was excited to go back to the flower shop and had been thinking about it all day. He could not stop daydreaming about the strange owner who talked softly to his flowers. Ushijima, he recalled.

When he got to the flower shop, called Shiratori Flowers, he noticed how the glass on the ground was swept up and a laminated sheet was placed in the window as a temporary screen from the outside world. Oikawa opened the door, the little wind chimes ringing above as he did so, signalling his entrance. He looked around the shop and it was completely spotless, different from this morning when there had been soil and dead flowers everywhere.

“Good afternoon, Ushijima-san!” Oikawa sang as he surveyed the place. Ushijima was standing next to the register sweeping the floor clad in a purple apron that he had not been adorning this morning. The man looked up and gazed at him curiously before recognition flashed in his green eyes. He quickly averted his gaze back to his task.

“Hello, um…”

“Oikawa is fine.” Oikawa grinned and started walking around the flowers. Now that he wasn’t looking directly at Ushijima he could feel those green eyes boring into his back. Oikawa didn’t feel threatened or uneasy about it though.

Oikawa hummed as he looked at the array of colors that the flowers offered all around the shop. It seemed as if Ushijima had a large selection to choose from, many that weren’t native to Japan. He only knew a few of their names, the common ones, like the sunflowers and the lilies and the petunias. The rest were lost to him, but beautiful nonetheless.

“You cleaned up.” Oikawa mused, stopping a short distance from Ushijima, who looked visibly nervous.

“Yes.” Was Ushijima’s response. Oikawa tilted his head a bit, a few strands of hair from his bangs falling into his eyes. Ushijima was very curt in his responses and whenever Oikawa looked at him, the man would fidget and look away as if he were uncomfortable. Oikawa didn’t know what he was doing wrong but for some reason he found himself wanting to ease the nervousness that he found in Ushijima’s features.

“Did you call the police?”

“Ah, no.”

Oikawa nodded. “I really think you should. You said this happens often.”

“...Yes. But I can handle it.”

“So brave, Ushijima-san!” Oikawa laughed suddenly and then leaned forward to look Ushijima in the eye. This time, Ushijima didn’t look away but there was still stiffness in the way he stood, the broom clasped tightly in his hands. His index and middle finger tapped urgently against the wood, another hint at his discomfort.

“I can’t believe somebody would break into a flower shop as nice as this one.” Oikawa sighed and shook his head. “Some people in this world! I can’t believe it!” He turned and touched the petals of a blue flower. He heard Ushijima suck in a breath.

Oikawa looked over his shoulder. “Should I not touch them?”

“They do not like it when you pull on their petals.” Ushijima answered.

“Ah.” Oikawa nodded and looked at the flower he was still touching, retracting his hand. “I’m sorry, flower.”

He glanced at Ushijima from the corner of his eye and saw the taller man’s jaw go slack with surprise. Perhaps Oikawa was the first person other than himself to apologize to the flowers. He hoped that Ushijima didn’t think he was being made fun of; that was the last of Oikawa’s intentions. Instead, he hoped that apologizing to the flowers would show Ushijima that he was harmless and wanted to make him as comfortable as possible..

Ushijima cleared his throat and stepped up beside Oikawa, “That is a, um, Himalayan Blue Poppy. It is… It refers to the imagination and success.”

Oikawa hummed. “Interesting. Do you have a favorite flower, Ushijima-san?”

Ushijima tilted his head to the side slightly, a stoic expression on his face. “It would be cruel to pick only one favorite flower.”

Oikawa grinned unsurely. He had never met somebody who talked as formally as Ushijima. He wondered if he grew up in one of the big cities where they taught the children the ‘proper way to talk’ rather than a more colloquial form that country people spoke with. Sometimes Oikawa found himself slipping back into those habits and Kuroo would laugh at him, calling him a “country bumpkin.”

“So you don’t have multiple favorites?” Oikawa pressed.

Ushijima started gnawing on his lip as he had been this morning and his eyebrows pinched together, looking mildly distressed.

Oikawa was quick to squash it. “You don’t have to choose, I’m sorry for-”

“I…. Gladiolus is quite… beautiful.” Ushijima marched over to a particular section of the store and came back with a potted plant with parallel stalks of bright, yellow-orange flowers sprouting from the soil. “They represent honor and strength within a person.” He sounded as if he were reading right out of a textbook, years of knowledge pouring out automatically. Oikawa wondered how long Ushijima had studied botany, if he had at all, before opening his own shop.

Oikawa examined the flowers in the pot presented to him and smiled. “Any more?”

Ushijima placed the pot down and wandered to another table where he lifted a white flower with soft looking pedals into his hands. He brought it over to Oikawa. “This is Edelweiss. They are flowers of love.”

“How so?” Oikawa examined the plant presented to him; it wasn’t as beautiful as the other flowers in the store, but he could see the charm in it. The white bloomed with a yellow middle, some of the flowers having more than one yellow bud at its apex.

“They are grown in the mountains of Austria, very high up. Many climbers would go to the top just to grab them. I do not approve of ripping them out of the ground because then they will die sooner, but people would take them down the mountains and give them to their lovers as a sign of their devotion.”

Oikawa thought of Iwaizumi and Akaashi for a moment, knowing that at least his best friend would go to great lengths to show his boyfriend how in love he was. The mini lesson made something deep within Oikawa pang with loneliness. If scaling a mountain for somebody just to pick a measly flower from the dirt was true love, then Oikawa figured he would never be able to find that.

Oikawa vaguely wondered if Ushijima would do that.

He had only known the man for a couple of hours now, maybe even less, but he saw the way Ushijima stared longingly at the Edelweiss in his hands. Maybe it was just because of the flowers, which he clearly loved. Maybe it was because he was thinking of somebody - perhaps a partner - that he shared a deep connection with.

Oikawa wanted to know about this man’s life; he had never felt so intrigued by a person before.

Oikawa found himself visiting Ushijima’s flower shop more and more after the initial encounter. After that first day he had learned the name of the shop and had walked into work that morning with, slamming his hands on the desk and exclaiming “Shiratori Flowers!” Iwaizumi and Kuroo gave him a look as if he had sprouted ten heads.

“Okay bud.” Kuroo kept typing away.

Oikawa huffed. “It’s a real place!”

“Stop yelling, Sawamura-san’s going to come in and scold you again.”

Oikawa threw his hands up in exasperation, but didn’t dwell on it further.

Weeks passed until it was about a month after Oikawa met Ushijima. He enjoyed his conversations with Ushijima, who wasn’t much of a talker at first unless it was about the flowers he tended to each day. There was a story for every flower and Oikawa would half listen and half watch as the man spoke with such passion. He rarely spoke of his personal life, although Oikawa did try to pry, but the conversation always landed back on the flowers.

The flower shop became his refuge in the late afternoons. He would look forward to these interactions all day, getting lost in thought as he worked on assignments or absentmindedly ate his lunch. All he wanted to do was be surrounded by the sweet aroma of the blossoms and deep baritone of his new companion’s voice.

Oikawa was cheerier in the coming weeks, Kuroo and Iwaizumi noting this.

“ _You’re smiling to yourself more._ ” Iwaizumi had told him one day.

Oikawa had tilted his head to the side innocently. “ _I’m happy, Iwa-chan, is that such a bad thing_?”

“ _It makes me think you’re up to something_ .” Iwaizumi had narrowed his eyes and then let up, leaning back in his chair. “ _Whatever it is, don’t let it get you into trouble._ ”

Oikawa had beamed after that, throwing his hands up excitedly. “ _Such a mother hen, always looking out for her duckling!_ ”

As predicted, Iwaizumi hadn’t liked that very much.

Oikawa was able to ignore his best friend’s unamused gaze with the promise of getting to see the calm man behind the counter at Shiratori Flowers. Oikawa wondered what the florist did by himself at the shop when he was not there. He found himself lost in thoughts like these on more than one occasion.

Oikawa returned to the shop that afternoon, the sun setting in swirls of goldenrod and pink, lighting up the sky in a fiery orange. It was empty aside from Ushijima clad in his purple apron, small dirt particles clinging to the fabric. Oikawa couldn’t recall a time when other customers were there and Oikawa valued the time he spent alone with the man. He was still unsure about how Ushijima felt about him, as Ushijima never gave anything away in terms of facial expression. Oikawa figured he liked the company though, since he had never been turned away despite how persistent he got with his questions.

“Good afternoon, Ushiwaka-chan!” Oikawa cheered as the door chimed over head.

Ushijima looked up from where he was watering a plant. “That is not my name, Oikawa.”

After learning his name, Oikawa had taken to calling Ushijima by his personally appointed pet name. Oikawa ignored Ushijima's protest and laughed heartily as he observed the state of the shop. It was as pristine as ever, little twinkles practically glowing on the corners of one table.

“How are you today?” Oikawa turned his attention back to the man before him.

“Fine.” Ushijima’s response was as short as ever, looking anywhere but at Oikawa’s face. There was always something a little bit different about Ushijima’s mannerisms but Oikawa couldn’t place them. He didn’t mind and they were at at the back of his mind; sometimes, however, Ushijima would do something that took Oikawa by surprise. He would tug on his hair if frustrated and he was always chewing his lip, so much that it was encrusted with blood. Oikawa was tempted to ask about it, but they weren’t that close.

“Get a lot of customers today?” Oikawa observed him switched watering cans to sprinkle onto different flowers.

Ushijima shrugged. “As many customers as I usually get.”

Oikawa clicked his tongue. “So quiet today Ushiwaka! Would you rather we talk about these lovely girls instead?”

Ushijima furrowed his eyebrows. “You cannot gender flowers. They are their own entity.”

“Aren’t you gendering them by calling them ‘they’?” Oikawa shot back, almost automatically. It was the inner sass in him that he reserved only for Kuroo and Iwaizumi, sometimes Daichi if he was feeling risky.

The sass had an immediate effect over Ushijima, whose eyebrows pulled taut into the center of his face as he thought about what Oikawa had said. Ushijima brought his fingers up to his hair and curled one stray lock around his finger before pinching the strands between his thumb and index. He tugged particularly hard, dark green eyes glazing over as he disappeared into his mind.  

“Ushijima?” Oikawa asked after a moment, pulling Ushijima out of his reverie. The man’s neck snapped in Oikawa’s direction, eyes widening and no longer cloudy. “Did I say something wrong? I’m sorry if I did.”

Oikawa was extremely confused at what just happened. He usually wouldn’t apologize, but the look of terror on Ushijima’s face when he came to made him rethink. Oikawa took a step closer but Ushijima backed away from him.

“Please don’t.” Ushijima said lowly. Oikawa stopped in his tracks and smiled as kindly as possible.

“I’ll stay right here, Ushiwaka-chan!” Oikawa had to push his own worries down in order to benefit Ushijima. He could revisit this another day, when they knew each other better. Now was not the right time.

“I really would like it if you could teach me about another flower today though.” Oikawa wanted to return to some semblance of normalcy.

Ushijima glanced over at where Oikawa stood several feet away. He licked the blood off his lips before answering. “What is your favorite flower?”

Oikawa’s smile spread wider. “Hm… I guess I like lilies the best. Is that too cliche?”

Ushijima face grew serious. “No flower is cliche. They are all extremely beautiful. Especially lilies…” He launched into the origin of the lilies and their meaning, Oikawa hanging on to every word. He almost felt incompetent that he didn’t have something that he was as passionate about. Ushijima’s devotion to flowers inspired him to want to go outside and be in nature, even though most of the time he was content with sitting on the couch and watching sci-fi movies.

He briefly wondered if Ushijima liked alien movies too.

As Ushijima spoke, Oikawa came to the realization that his feelings for Ushijima were stronger than they had been a month ago when he met him. He had wanted to know more about the florist a month ago, but now he wanted to get to know him on a personal level. He wanted to meet with him outside of this tiny shop, where there was no lingering aroma of flowers. Oikawa wanted to go on dates with him, hold his hand if he were allowed, cuddle with him….

Oikawa almost groaned at the realization that he was drowning in feelings for a total stranger. The only thing on his mind then was how Kuroo and Iwaizumi were going to laugh at him when he confessed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my amazing friend [Erin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/creepingrosemary/pseuds/creepingrosemary) for being my main beta and to the awesome [Jillian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/haikyuuliberos/pseuds/haikyuuliberos) for looking over this first chapter for me!!!
> 
> Follow me on [ Tumblr](http://aizawa-shoutas.tumblr.com/)


	2. gladiolus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’re not very good at hiding your feelings.” Kuroo chimed it, leaning his head in his palm. “Normally when you’ve got something to say you don’t hold back.”  
> Kuroo had a point. Okawa was never shy about sharing details of his life with the two of them. He was just worried that the two were going to laugh at him. Neither took him seriously and this could be one of those times.  
> Kuroo and Iwaizumi were staring at him expectantly before he finally broke the silence. “How did you two know you were in love?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the kind words on chapter 1! It means a lot to me!   
> Just a little note, Oikawa calls Kuroo "Tettsun" in this because I saw it in a post once and thought it was cute.  
> Happy reading~

A voice swam in Oikawa’s ears. It was muted and sounded as if it were underwater. As he blinked rapidly, it became clearer, more crisp.

“-kawa! Earth to Oikawa!” Kuroo was waving his hand in front of Oikawa’s eyes, trying to get his attention. The brunette continued blinking until everything settled, vision no longer fuzzy or watery. Kuroo stopped waving his hand and used it to push his bangs out of his face, although it was no use. 

“Hm?” Oikawa hummed, straightening and trying to look as if he was doing work. 

Kuroo let out a raspy laugh, clutching his side. “Damn, I was trying to get your attention forever! Where’d you disappear to?”

Oikawa glanced over at Iwaizumi who was staring at his monitor, though obviously listening. 

“I was thinking.” Oikawa stated simply, clicking a couple of tabs open on his desktop. What was he supposed to be doing again?

Kuroo snickered. “Well, duh. Something on your mind?”

Oikawa had a lot on his mind, in fact. He was at a loss with what to do about his feelings for Ushijima. He had never felt this strongly about anybody, ever, and definitely not this quickly. Sure, he has had boyfriends in the past but those relationships never lasted that long. They were just for fun, nothing serious. Iwaizumi called them flings but Oikawa would classify them as “short relationships.”

Ushijima was different though. Ushijima gave no semblance that he wanted to sleep with him, or any indication of attraction at all. All in all, he was kind of dense to anything that was human interaction. Oikawa was sure the man enjoyed his company, as he never told Oikawa to leave. He always seemed to come to life when Oikawa entered the store, ready to talk about flowers, the only thing he took any interest in. When he spoke it was always in a strict monotone and he always kept his eyes poised on the flower as he recounted origin stories and meaning. It was clear that the florist spent more time in his shop than out interacting with people.

However, that’s what drew Oikawa to him. He loved that Ushijima had a passion, something that he could talk about for hours. Ushijima kept his listener engaged and interested as well, even if he never made eye contact. Oikawa never cared about flowers so much in his life. 

Why, then, did he keep going back each day, almost as if it were routine? It  _ was _ routine now. The weekends he didn’t get to see Ushijima made his heart ache. It was almost as if his brain had flipped a switch, one that had been dormant until the very moment he stepped into Shiratori Flowers.

“Oi.” Iwaizumi caught his attention again, bringing him back to Earth. Oikawa jerked in his direction, giving a hesitant smile.

“Ah, Iwa-chan, I promise I’m alright!” Oikawa cheered but even he could hear how fake he sounded.

Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes. “Tooru.” Shit, he was pulling the first name card. That only happened when Iwaizumi knew Oikawa was hiding something from him. Iwaizumi glanced at the door to make sure nobody was passing by, then turned his attention to Oikawa. “Talk to us.”

“You’re not very good at hiding your feelings.” Kuroo chimed it, leaning his head in his palm. “Normally when you’ve got something to say you don’t hold back.”

Kuroo had a point. Okawa was never shy about sharing details of his life with the two of them. He was just worried that the two were going to laugh at him. Neither took him seriously and this could be one of those times.

Kuroo and Iwaizumi were staring at him expectantly before he finally broke the silence. “How did you two know you were in love?”

It was a moment before the question registered to his coworkers. When it did, they exchanged a look before their lips spread into identical grins. Oikawa braced for the laughter but it never came. Instead, Kuroo sucked in a deep breath and turned his attention on Oikawa fully. 

“Well.” Kuroo ran his fingers through the ink black fringe falling over his right eye. “Koutarou literally vomited on me while he was wasted. I liked him for a while at that point and we would fool around sometimes, y’know, as guys do. I ended up having to take care of him that night. But when I was doing that and when we woke up the next morning, him drooling on the pillow and snoring like there was no tomorrow, I dunno. It might not seem like the sexiest sight, but in that moment there was nothing I would have rather seen. It felt right waking up to him like that. It was more intimate than any of the other times we slept in the same bed.”

“So cliche, Tettsun,” Oikawa smiled at him when Kuroo stuck his tongue out.

“Now I get to wake up to a hot guy every morning. Even if he slobbers like a dog.”

Oikawa couldn’t help but laugh at that. Bokuto, Kuroo’s boyfriend, was kind of like an overexcited puppy. He was too hyperactive to be a fully grown dog. Oikawa thought the analogy was fitting.

“What about you, Iwa-chan? How did you know you were in love with Keiji-san? I know it must be hard not seeing him for long periods of time…” 

Oikawa already knew the answer to the question. Akaashi’s profession often kept him out of the country for months on end, sometimes up to ten months. He had been gone for six months now and Iwaizumi couldn’t remember when he was due back. They had to correspond through letters because there was no wifi in the village Akaashi did his research in; though, the letters were sparse due to lack of access to postal service. So, there was barely any contact between Iwaizumi and Akaashi when the latter was gone.

Iwaizumi ran his fingers through his hair and chuckled lowly. “I guess I knew I loved him when he left and I didn’t move on to somebody else. I didn’t think about anybody else but him. Even though that first trip was for four months, I stuck around. He told me that I didn’t have to wait around for him, but I did because I cared about him and I missed him more each day he was gone.” He shrugged, more to himself than anybody else. “Keiji is an amazing guy. He takes care of me and I take care of him. I don’t really have another reason. I just… knew.”

Oikawa clicked his tongue. He was going to make a sarcastic comment but this was not a time for that. In many ways, Oikawa admired the love Iwaizumi and Akaashi had for each other. Their love was the kind of love he yearned for.

“So… Would I be crazy if I said I think I love Ushiwaka-chan?” Oikawa asked quietly.

“No.” Kuroo responded truthfully. Oikawa raised an eyebrow at him, wanting more elaboration. “Love at first sight is a thing. I believe in it. Even if it’s only a physical thing at first, your love grows the more you spend with that person, and we all know where you disappear to after work, Oikawa.” Kuroo winked at him causing Oikawa’s face to ignite in a blush.

“Do you want me to bring you flowers, Tetsu-chan?” Oikawa teased.

Kuroo cackled again. “Koutarou does that enough, thanks.”

Oikawa smiled at the thought of the gesture and he wished that he had somebody to bring him flowers. Ushijima could do it easily; he owned a flower shop after all. He thought of what flowers Ushijima would put in a bouquet. Maybe his favorites? Or Oikawa’s favorites. He had said he liked lilies the best. Maybe Ushijima had flowers that reminded him of Oikawa. 

Oikawa hoped he did.

“Wow, you’ve got it bad.” Iwaizumi whistled and shook his head at him, bringing him from his thoughts once more.

“What?” Oikawa cocked an eyebrow.

“You were staring off into space again.”

Oikawa pouted. “I’m sorry, Iwa-chan! Were you talking to me during that time? It couldn’t have been that important anyway.”

Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes which had Oikawa sitting upright and scrambling for the keyboard. He had a major report to write up anyway; Daichi  _ and  _ Iwaizumi kicked his ass if he didn’t have it done soon.

By the end of the day, when most of the report was done and in need of some major editing, Oikawa was still thinking of his conversation with his coworkers. Did love really feel like that? Could waking up to somebody and seeing them drool really give him heart eyes like Kuroo had? Could longing for your significant other for months on end keep him satisfied like Iwaizumi? Oikawa didn’t know.

The only thing he was positive about was that he looked forward to seeing Ushijima every day. Sometimes he would stop by in the morning when Ushijima was just opening up, getting distracted looking into deep green eyes as Ushijima sparsely told him about his night. They never really said much, just enjoyed each other’s company early in the morning. Just thinking about these encounters made Oikawa walk a little bit faster.

Sundown was fast approaching and the store would soon close. Oikawa was able to slip in that evening with about a half hour to spare.

“Good evening Ushiwaka-chan!” Oikawa cried as the door chimes sang above him. As always, Ushijima was sweeping up the store around the tables. Today there was a light hum to his voice that stopped when Oikawa walked through the door.

Ushijima nodded at him. “Good afternoon, Oikawa-san.”

Oikawa laughed softly. “I told you, you don’t have to be so formal! We’re friends aren’t we?”

Ushijima pursed his lips and hastily went back to cleaning. Oikawa could have sworn that he saw a slight blush high on Ushijima’s cheeks. It made him beam even brighter and there was a spring in his step as he walked deeper in the store.

“How was your day?” Oikawa was determined to get Ushijima to talk about something other than the flowers. Of course, they could still talk about one but he didn’t want that to be the only topic of conversation. He wanted to get to know him, what he liked besides the motley crue of plants.

“Fine.” Ushijima answered shortly.

Oikawa frowned but was quick to smile again. “Just fine? Did you get a lot of customers today?”

“As many as always.” 

Oikawa studied him. He didn’t seem too uncomfortable, but he was unsure of how many questions would overwhelm him. Once he noticed signs of discomfort Oikawa planned to change gears. But for now…

“I’m surprised that more people don’t stop by. You have such a great selection.” Oikawa bent down to smell the Gardenia. Ushijima had told him once that it was amongst the most fragrant of flowers. Since then Oikawa enjoyed smelling them every time they caught his eye. He was more keen on identifying flowers now, even if he was just going for a walk in the park near his apartment complex.

“It is not a low number of people.” Ushijima claimed. 

“But not as many as you’d like?” Oikawa inquired.

Ushijima turned fully away from him. “I cannot force people to come buy flowers, even if I want to.”

For some reason, that made Oikawa snicker. Just the thought of Ushijima standing outside shouting at people and trying to get them inside his store was an interesting thought. Of course, there was no way that Ushijima would do that. He was the type to avoid as much human interaction as possible.

“Well, I hope more people come tomorrow!” Oikawa slapped the wooden tabletop and then squared his shoulders. 

“Ushiwaka-chan, if you weren’t selling flowers, what would you be doing?”

Ushijima turned so abruptly that Oikawa took a step back in shock. Ushijima looked more confused than he’d ever seen them before and his lips were forming around the question. His hand had flung into his hair almost immediately and he was tugging at dark strands, twisting them around his finger. Oikawa was starting to get nervous but he held his head high.

“I don’t… I have never thought about it.” Ushijima mumbled softly. He bit down on his lip, chewing at the skin.

Oikawa smiled, trying to remain calm. He had forced Ushijima into two of these… episodes now and he was still unsure of what to do. So he tried to move away from the topic. “That’s alright! I always wanted to be an astronaut. Or an astronomer.”

Ushijima licked his lips. “Why?”

It was the first time that Oikawa had been asked a question that was not flower related. He was a little taken aback but was always willing to talk about his love for the solar systems.

“The galaxy is so amazing.” Oikawa stated. “We are so small yet there’s just this expanse of life and gasses and heat in this universe. It just amazes me. It’s also amazing that we’re the only inhabitable planet so far. Do you believe in aliens, Ushiwaka-chan?”

“I do not have… time for such trivial things.”

Oikawa gasped and his hand flew to his chest dramatically. “Trivial things? This is our world, Ushiwaka-chan! Don’t you think it’s strange that we’re the only living things here?” 

“The plants are living.”

Oikawa snorted in laughter. “Yes but like… people. We’re the only people here! I find that hard to believe.”

“Hm.” Ushijima was still coiling hair around his finger.

Oikawa stretched his arms above his head. “So does that mean you don’t watch alien movies?”

“I do not watch many movies.” Ushijima stated.

“What  _ do  _ you watch then?”

“Documentaries on plants.” 

Oikawa should have known. His lips split into a smile once more. “Is that how you became so knowledgeable?”

Ushijima shrugged and leaned the broom against the wall. He had finished sweeping and went to go count the money. Oikawa was always impressed with how he could count the money and speak at the same time. Sometimes his eyebrow would twitch and Oikawa could tell he started again, but this was only sometimes. 

“I read a lot of books as a child as well.” Ushijima explained.

Oikawa grinned. “That’s how I learned about the stars and the planets and everything. I should really watch more documentaries . About the planets. I haven’t watched any in a long time.”

Ushijima nodded. “Documentaries are calming. That is why I like them.” He shut the cash register and glanced at Oikawa before untying his apron. Oikawa could barely contain his excitement at the fact that Ushijima was being so talkative. This rarely ever happened. “I could… recommend some to you, if you’d like.”

“I’ll watch them all!” Oikawa shouted and when he saw Ushijima flinch he toned it down a bit. “I would really like that, Ushiwaka-chan.”

Ushijima hesitantly started naming some of his favorite documentaries and Oikawa took them all down in his notes. There was still a part of Oikawa that was stunned that Ushijima was being so responsive to him. He wondered what changed. He wondered if Ushijima felt the same way about him. 

“Would you… Do you have any…. galaxy documentaries?” Ushijima asked slowly.

Oikawa lit up immediately. “Of course I do! Do you have a piece of paper?”

“I will remember them.” Ushijima responded immediately.

Oikawa blinked but then started listing some of his favorites. Ushijima’s expression was blank but Oikawa could see the gears moving behind his eyes. Once Oikawa was done listing them, he was going to say something more but he saw the taller man was glance towards the front door, a cue that he wanted Oikawa to leave. Oikawa smoothed his hands over his dress shirt.

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow Ushiwaka-chan! I’m going to watch one of those documentaries tonight! Mark my words!” He turned on his heel and marched out, listening to the chimes chirping overhead. He loved those chimes. They were so homey. They reminded him of Ushijima.

That night, he stayed up late to watch one of the documentaries Ushijima had recommended him. It was kind of boring, Ushijima being way more compelling than the old guy droning on and on, but he powered through in the name of love. Iwaizumi would probably laugh at him if he knew he was watching documentaries to impress a guy. Oikawa thought he was being romantic. And he hoped Ushijima saw it as a gesture of romance, too.

The next morning Oikawa woke up in a cheerful mood, humming to himself as he poured the thermos full of coffee. He had woken up earlier than usual but he wasn’t dead tired like he normally would have been. He was ready to tackle this day head on.

When he got to work and was whistling a happy tune, Kuroo stared at him with a big eyes.

“What’s got you so happy?” The man asked as he typed something into his browser.

Oikawa kept humming. “Oh, you know, it’s a beautiful day outside! The sun is shining from the high heavens to greet us, Tettsun!” 

Kuroo snorted. “Yeah, sure.”

Iwaizumi yawned as he entered the room. Oikawa perked up. “Good morning, Iwa-chan! Let’s work hard today.” Iwaizumi just passively waved a hand and grumbled his greeting. He clearly hadn’t had enough coffee yet.

It wasn’t until an hour later that Iwaizumi glared over at him, asking him about his good mood just like Kuroo had. Oikawa pretty much gave the same answer, resulting in a scoff from Iwaizumi. There was a small grin on his face however, showing that he had enjoyed Oikawa’s response. Oikawa beamed at him.

Oikawa continued throughout the day in his chipper mood, greeting people with a dazzling smile and being more productive than he’d ever been before. Daichi even gave him a suspicious glance but told him to keep up the good work. With a salute, Oikawa turned back to his monitor and continued his report on the employment rate in their current prefecture. Not the most lively topic, but it had been Oikawa’s punishment for slacking off on the previous assignment. He was going to prove to Daichi that he could handle something more riveting.

By the end of the day, nothing had soured Oikawa’s mood. Thinking about Ushijima’s reaction to him watching the documentary and being able to talk to him about it had gotten him through the work day. Would Ushijima be happy, maybe even excited? Oikawa was dying to know what excitement looked like on Ushijima’s face. He had never even seen the man smile. Oikawa knew it would be beautiful.

Walking down the street, Oikawa’s heart was pounding. Why was he so nervous? There was nothing to be nervous about. It was just Ushijima.

The familiar chimes rang above as he entered Shiratori Flowers.

“Ushiwaka-chan!” Oikawa called to the brunette standing in the center of the store, looking down at the plants. Oikawa’s smile immediately vanished as he saw a potted plant shattered on the ground, flower wilting, soil everywhere. “Ushiwaka...chan?” 

Ushijima turned towards him with a stern frowned embedded onto his lips. “I accidentally knocked over the daisies.”

Oikawa stepped closer timidly, assessing if that was alright. When Ushijima made no move to stop him and didn’t tense up, he came closer, kneeling down beside the plant.

“Do you have any other pots? We can just transfer all of this into a new one!” Oikawa tried to remain positive, for Ushijima’s sake. The man had the same distressed look on his face that he had in their initial meeting. There was no hair pulling this time however, a good sign.

“I-I suppose.” Ushijima muttered.

Oikawa smiled. “It’ll be alright! People knock over plants all the time and don’t do anything about it! We have the opportunity to save this one.”

Ushijima stared at him for a moment before the tips of his ears turned red. Then he stalked away, disappearing into the hidden back of the store while Oikawa started packing the dirt up into one section. Oikawa wasn’t the type to get his hands dirty unless absolutely necessary. This was one of those times. He was willing to push himself for Ushijima’s benefit.

Ushijima brought out a plastic container this time, claiming that this one would not break and it would be better for the plants. Together they placed the fallen soil along with new soil into the pot, putting the daisy in the center. It was a bit flimsy and not as full of life as those around it.

“I will bring it home with me so it can be healthy again.” Oikawa watched him bring it to the register and set it down gently. He made no move to come back to Oikawa so the latter started perusing around the store. He realized that even though he was in here so often, he had never actually bought flowers from the store. There were so many options that he wouldn’t know what to pick.

“I watched one of those documentaries.” Oikawa told him instead, turning away from the flowers in front of him.

“What did you think?” Ushijima was looking at him now and Oikawa was struck, as always, by the intensity of his gaze. Even though Ushijima didn’t look him in the eye often (Oikawa figured it made him feel awkward) but when he did it was almost as if he were looking into his soul. That might have been cliche but that was the only way Oikawa could describe the feeling.

“It was interesting, although, I much would have rathered you be the one teaching me.” Oikawa winked at him and Ushijima quickly looked away.

“Oh, um, well…” Ushijima sounded like he was chewing his lip. Oikawa didn’t need to look at him anymore to know he was doing so. His hand was still at his side, thick fingers twitching and not tugging on his hair, for which Oikawa was thankful. Oikawa kept his eyes trained on Ushijima’s hand as he spoke.

“Say, Ushiwaka-chan,” Oikawa dragged his fingertips over the wood of the table. “What kind of flowers should I buy?”

“You… want to buy flowers?” Ushijima asked softly.

Oikawa clicked his tongue. “Yes! I always come in and I’ve never bought flowers before! I wanna contribute to your revenue as much as I can. Plus, my apartment could use a little spicing up.” That was slightly untrue; Oikawa had galaxy posters everywhere and extra terrestrial memorabilia lining his bookshelves. He was forever going to be a nerd and he wore that badge with pride. Even if Iwaizumi would make fun of it any chance he got. Oikawa always argued that Iwaizumi couldn’t speak because he had a Godzilla blanket and even pillows on the couch. 

Ushijima studied him for a moment before striding towards him. Oikawa tensed up instinctively but the florist passed him then, walking towards the windows. Flowers lined the shelves there and he picked up a plot with bright orange flowers. Oikawa immediately recognized them as tiger lilies.

“Aw, Ushiwaka-chan, you remember I liked lilies!” Oikawa cooed.

Ushijima’s stare remained impassive as he cradled the soil-filled pottery. “These are not lilies, they are tiger lilies.” He looked down at them. “They stand for pride, since they are so bold in color. They also stand for wealth. They are very important to Japan and extremely beautiful.”

Oikawa gaped at him. It was almost as if Ushijima was saying  _ he  _ was important to Japan by giving him these vibrant flowers. 

“I also think,” Ushijima extended the pot out to him without looking, gaze glued to the floor, “that they bring out your eyes.” 

A grin crept onto Oikawa’ face as well as a deep blush. Ushijima had really just said his eyes were beautiful. Did he think the rest of him was beautiful too? Oikawa took the pot from Ushijima’s hands, their fingers grazing. Ushijima flinched but he looked determined to hold his hands out until Oikawa had taken its full weight. When Oikawa was fully holding them, Ushijima turned away as if burned and made a dash to the register.

“I will ring you up.” The florist said as he started typing into the register. Oikawa was still grinning like an idiot as he made his way over, pulling his wallet out along the way.

“I hope I can keep them alive.” Oikawa joked to himself but when he looked up, Ushijima was using his next breath to launch into a lesson about flower care. Oikawa listened with open ears and he hung on to every word, as usual. He was dead set on keeping these flowers alive; it wasn’t often that Oikawa cared for a flower. He couldn’t remember the last time he had flowers in his house so this would be a challenge to see if he could keep something other than himself alive. He could barely take care of himself.

Oikawa passed over the correct amount of yen and then he was saying goodbye, holding onto the pot as if his life depended on it. He tucked it into the crevice of his arm as he walked home. Upon arrival he set it on his window sill so they could get as much sunlight as possible, resting it on a glass dish to catch any excess water that dripped from the holes in the bottom.

He was still on a high as he got ready for bed that night. Ushijima had called him beautiful! Kind of. But by giving him the flowers, that was definitely flirting. He had even accepted Oikawa’s flirting. He was confident that Ushijima felt the same as he did. Now, it was only a matter of time before he could truly confess his feelings. That moment tonight had solidified his crush on Ushijima for the long run. And he wanted something more.

Oikawa spent that night dreaming of raising a family of flowers with Ushijima. He imagined their life together from the start of their relationship to the end. His feelings were so intense that they found him in his actual dreams, images of Ushijima surrounded by rose petals like some shoujo manga plaguing his mind. When he woke up, he realized just how deeply fucked he was. But he could work with this. Life had fucked him before and it would fuck him again, he just needed to take charge.

For a week, Oikawa let these feelings bubble inside him. Each day when he went to go see Ushijima they just further took root in his heart. Love wrapped around each chamber of his heart and sunk it’s thorns in deep. It would take a lot of plucking to remove each thorn implanted in him.

“You’re starting to scare me with your good moods.” Kuroo told him that morning.

Oikawa just laughed. “Tettsun, why am I not allowed to be happy?”

“Because happy makes you quiet and normally you don’t shut up. It’s weird. Talk more.” Kuroo demanded but his teeth shone in a smile. Oikawa liked to think that Kuroo was glad to see him so happy and lively.

“Hm, I guess we’ll see.” He winked at his coworker who just shook his head.

Iwaizumi met Oikawa’s gaze. Oikawa had already been looking at him, expecting some kind of sarcastic remark. 

“It’s better than you being all whiny.” Iwaizumi explained after clearing his throat. “You deserve to be happy, Tooru.”

Oikawa was a blubbering mess in seconds. “Iwa-chan, you’re so kind to me!” He got up and threw his arms around Iwaizumi’s neck.

“Oi, that wasn’t an invitation for you to choke me.” Iwaizumi made no move to push him away and even wrapped a thick arm around Oikawa’s waist. This just made Oikawa cling to him more and exclaim his love for his best friend. It was hard to believe that both of them were twenty-eight years old. They caused such a ruckus that Daichi had to come in and scold them, telling them to get back to work or else he’d fire them.

It was an empty threat but it had the desired effect.

For the rest of they day they were all on their best behavior. Burnt out by the end of it, they said their goodbyes with a yawn and a half-hearted wave. Oikawa was more awake than the rest though because tonight was the night. Tonight was the night he was going to tell Ushijima how he was in love with him. Nothing was going to stand in his way.

During his block long journey to Shiratori Flowers, Oikawa thought of everything he wanted to say. He was going to start off with how the tiger lilies were doing, as Ushijima was always so keen on hearing about them. Then he would ask Ushijima about his day and if he got many customers, of which the answer would be the same as usual. Oikawa would ask anyway, as it was part of their routine.

He would do all this before dropping the bomb. ‘Hey, Ushiwaka-chan, I like you. Like… I’m in love with you.’ Maybe that was too casual. Would Ushijima understand? He would probably think it was silly that Oikawa was in love with him, as it had only been a month and a half since they had met, but Oikawa didn’t care. He needed to get this off his chest. He held his head high, positive that he wouldn’t be rejected. He had never been rejected before and he wasn’t going to start now.

Oikawa could see the flower shop approaching in the distance. His palms were a little bit clammy at this point but his feet kept moving. Nothing would stop him, not even the pounding in his chest or the way his lungs constricted as if there were no air in them. One foot in front of the other. 

The door was right in front of him before he knew it and he swung it open, stepping into the fragrant palace.

“Good evening Ushiwaka-chan!” Oikawa greeted as usual, looking around before he fixed his eyes on Ushijima. 

He froze. Ushijima was not alone.

“Ah, hello Oikawa-san.” Ushijima said as casually as ever. As if there  _ wasn’t another man with his arm draped around his shoulders _ .

Nobody else had ever been in the shop before. It was always just them. Now there was a man, one with wild red hair that stuck up towards the sky and a wild grin that made him look like something out of a horror film. He hunched over a bit as he draped him over Ushijima like the same vines that were coiled around Oikawa’s heart.

Oikawa could feel those very stems rotting away just by looking at the two. He hadn’t known that Ushijima had a significant other, hadn’t even bothered to ask. He just assumed… assumed that he didn’t have anybody.

“Wakatoshi-kun, who’s this?” The words rolled off the mystery man’s tongue in purr. There was a dominance in his words and in his gaze, red eyes matching his hair. The wild grin turned feral almost as he sized Oikawa up.

_ Wakatoshi _ . Oikawa was focused on that one word. They were on a first name basis. The man could touch Ushijima, and Ushijima didn’t seem bothered in slightest. Oikawa was shaking, hands dying to clench into a fist at his side. He didn’t give them the chance.

“Ah, this is my friend, Oikawa Tooru. He often visits me.” Ushijima explained. “Oikawa, this is Tendou Satori.”

“Hmm…” Tendou tongue ran over his lips. He vaguely resembled a lizard. “Very nice to meet you,  _ Oikawa-san _ .”

Oikawa thought it was anything but.


	3. tiger lily

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “A young man came in to buy flowers for his girlfriend.” Oikawa could hear shuffling behind him and assumed Ushijima was moving around. His voice sounded closer. “It was cute.”  
>  _You should buy flowers for me._ Oikawa coughed over his own thoughts. No, that was impossible. Ushijima couldn’t buy flowers for him. He had a boyfriend.  
>  As if on cue, Tendou drawled, “Wakatoshi, you should buy me some flowers!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative title for this chapter: Akaashi is a beautiful person and everybody loves him and Iwaizumi's life is suffering. Oikawa too.  
> Sorry for the delay!

Because of his natural pettiness, Oikawa made the conscious decision to ignore Tendou as much as he possibly could. It was kind of hard, considering how Tendou carried himself; the man stood in a slightly hunched position, lanky arms hanging loosely at his sides. The arm that had previously been around Ushijima was lifting into a stretch but the two remained in close proximity. Oikawa wished he had a claw machine so he could pick Tendou up and move him somewhere else. Or he could pick him up and launch him out the door.

That seemed like the better option.

“How was your day, Ushiwaka-chan?” Oikawa averted his eyes to the display near the window. Ushijima had arranged the flowers like a rainbow. Or maybe Tendou had done that. Oikawa bit his tongue, feeling the bitterness sear the back of his throat.

“It was fine.” Ushijima replied easily in the same way he always did. He was always fine, always stoic, never showing emotion. Oikawa swallowed around the metallic taste in his mouth.

“Nothing interesting happened today?” He leaned down to smell the Gardenia like he had the other day. Anything to distract himself from the unusual presence in the room. The desire for Tendou to leave was seeping out of him and filling the room with a tension so thick that it masked the aroma of the flowers. Tendou was either immune to it or he didn’t care. The man continued to stand there with a devilish smirk on his face.

“A young man came in to buy flowers for his girlfriend.” Oikawa could hear shuffling behind him and assumed Ushijima was moving around. His voice sounded closer. “It was cute.”

_ You should buy flowers for me _ . Oikawa coughed over his own thoughts. No, that was impossible. Ushijima couldn’t buy flowers for him. He had a boyfriend.

As if on cue, Tendou drawled, “Wakatoshi, you should buy me some flowers!” 

There was no response from Ushijima and Oikawa could only assume they were sharing a look. A lover’s look. Oikawa wanted nothing more than to sprint out of there as fast as he could. That would look bad on his part but he didn’t really care. The only thing keeping him there was the fact that he did not want to disappoint Ushijima. The man had become important to him, clearly since he planned on confessing that evening.

Guess not.

“This display is nice.” Oikawa was desperate to get the attention back onto him and he looked at Ushijima as he motioned to the display under the window. The florist was tidying up the shop as he usually did, making sure nothing was out of order. Tendou was now perched on the counter near the register, still hunched over, white-knuckling the edge as he gripped it. The Chesire grin was still carved onto his face. It kind of reminded Oikawa of Kuroo but in a more monsterish way.

“I did it this morning.” Ushijima’s voice was suddenly in his ear and Oikawa let out a small shriek as he jumped away, slamming his knee up into the table in the process.

“Shit.” Oikawa groaned and bent to grab his knee. He massaged his fingertips into the sides of his leg where it was pulsating in pain. Just a little tap could send him into agony as he had a previous injury there from college. He remained crouched over trying to soothe the pain and when he looked up, Ushijima’s hands were suspended out towards him. He looked as if he wanted to help and his brows were furrowed in early signs of distress.. Ushijima’s mouth hung open but no words left it. They stared at one another for a moment before Oikawa stood hastily, backing away from him. 

Cackles sounded from the register and when Oikawa glanced over, Tendou immediately started whistling. He had this glint in his eye, one that said he knew just what the two were up to.  _ Were _ they up to something? Maybe Tendou thought Oikawa had done it on purpose in order to get Ushijima to touch him. The throbbing in his knee definitely wasn’t worth it to be done on purpose.

“I told him that he needed to make this place more lively.” Tendou’s red eyes never left Oikawa’s, which were narrowed to slits. Tendou’s were wide with mischief. “Do you know what he said to me?”

“No.” Oikawa spat.

Tendou laughed. “Of course you didn’t. Well, he told me that this place was alive because the flowers are alive.”

“Do not talk about me as if I am not here.” Ushijima’s face was bright red, shoulders hunched over a bit with embarrassment. Oikawa had never seen him like that before. Was it something only Tendou could bring out in him? A pang of jealousy stabbed Oikawa in the heart, forcing the thorns of the vines in deeper and he silently cursed himself. 

“Aw, Wakatoshi, you’re so large I could never forget about you.”

“That is not what I meant.”

Oikawa felt like an unintentional third wheel. Watching the two bicker, he could tell that they had been together for years. Oikawa didn’t want to intrude any longer. He needed to make some excuse to get out of there and as fast as possible. His eyes darted to the exit and while Ushijima was distracted with Tendou, he started slipping closer to the door. 

“How is the tiger lily?” Ushijima was speaking to him directly again and Oikawa froze, standing up straighter. His knee twinged and tightened up, causing him to wince from the pain shooting up his leg. He tried to keep it off of his face but apparently he didn’t do a good job, as when Oikawa met Ushijima’s eyes and he saw concern deep within. It was only for a moment and then it was gone.

Oikawa put on his best brave face. “The tiger lily is great! Still bright and lively as ever! I water her every morning just like you told me to.”

Ushijima nodded thoughtfully. “You told me you would take pictures.”

“Ah!” Oikawa pulled his phone out. His hand was shaking. He could feel Tendou’s red gaze following his every movement. It was almost like a tiger stalking his prey, ready to pounce at any time. If Oikawa looked a little to the left he could see Tendou still lounging on the counter with the feral grin plastered on his face. Did this dude ever stop smiling?

“Here.” Oikawa shoved the phone into Ushijima’s hands, making sure not to touch him. Even a little graze of fingers was bad in his mind. Ushijma delicately held the phone as he scrolled through the pictures of the flowers.

“Stunning, still.” Ushijima marveled. “You are keeping it in the sun?”

“Just like you said.” Oikawa mumbled and ran his fingers through his hair. He avoided Ushijima’s gaze as he took the phone back. “I, um, actually have to get going. I’m sorry I have to leave so soon but I feel bad on intruding on your time with... Tendou-san.”

“I don’t mind!” Tendou jumped off the counter and walked over to them, once again draping himself over Ushijima’s shoulders. Ushijima didn’t so much as flinch but Oikawa did. Tendou winked at him. “It’s nice to see Wakatoshi with a friend.”

“ _ Yeah _ .” Oikawa grit out and curled his fist around his phone, which was now safely in his pocket. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Ushijima-san.”

“Ah, y-yes.” Ushijima blinked but didn’t say anything else. His face was a little pale but it was blank as he watched Oikawa leave. Oikawa violently shoved the door open and walked out into the cool evening breeze. He could vaguely hear Tendou calling how it was nice to meet him again but he didn’t return the pleasantries, just stormed down the sidewalk, feet slapping the concrete loudly, the sun setting behind him as he walked towards his apartment begrudgingly. 

Finally making it to his home, Oikawa slammed the door behind him and stripped out of his work clothes. The tie, the slacks, the fancy shoes, they all felt too constricting in his heated state. He changed into alien pajama pants and a loose black shirt that Oikawa was positive belonged to Iwaizumi. Then, he plopped himself onto the couch and turned the TV on,  _ Alien vs Predator  _ already up and ready to be played. Oikawa grabbed his blanket and swaddled himself before hitting play, letting the sounds of the movie surround him. He didn’t want to think of Ushijima or Tendou or anything for the rest of the night.

Oikawa ended up falling asleep on the couch and when his alarm sounded the next morning, he was extremely disoriented. He awoke with a startle and almost landed on the floor as he scrambled to identify his surroundings. The screen on his TV had dimmed and he was tangled in both the blankets he had thrown over himself the night before. Rubbing a hand over his face, Oikawa groaned. He had to face humanity again, even though he didn’t want to. 

As he got dressed, every single article of clothing he fit himself into felt too tight around him, a symbol of how he was feeling in his own skin. He wanted nothing more than to go back into the living room and continue the movie marathon he had started, but he had to be an adult. Adults don’t pout over guys they couldn’t have.

(But Oikawa was going to do it anyway.)

The walk to work that morning was not a good one; it really reflected his mood. There was pretty much a torrential downpour and his umbrella could barely shield him from the onslaught of rain falling from the thunderous crackles in the sky. By the time he reached the office, after scowling by Shiratori Flowers, his pants’ legs were soaked all the way up to his knees and his socks were a lost cause. The worst part was that he had to sit in drenched clothes for the rest of the day.

Oikawa stormed into the office and fell with an exasperated sigh into his desk chair. Iwaizumi was already seated, although he was more focused on sipping his coffee than the dark monitor in front of him.

“Iwa-chan I’m coming over tonight.” Oikawa declared as he started the computer.

“You can’t, Keiji’s coming home tonight.”

Oikawa clapped his hands together. “Perfect! It’ll be like a party!”

“What? No-”

“What’s this about a party?” Kuroo entered the room and folded his jacket over the back of the chair, rolling his sleeves up right after. There was no wetness evident on any part of Kuroo’s being and Oikawa glared for a moment, annoyed that he was potentially the only person affected. 

“Ah, Tetsu-chan! You should come to Iwa-chan’s place tonight!”

Kuroo leaned his chin against his propped hand and looked at him through thick lashes. “Hm, will there be booze?”

“No-”

“Yes! I’ll bring it.” Oikawa didn’t care if it was a week night; he needed a goddamn drink.

Kuroo hummed in thought before slamming his hand on his desk. “Alright, I’m in. I’ll tell Koutarou, too.”

“Wait, I didn’t agr-”

“What time should we get to Iwa-chan’s?” Oikawa continued to talk over Iwaizumi, whose fists were growing tighter and tighter around the cup he held.

Kuroo clicked his tongue. “I want to be able to go home and change first. What about eight?”

“Sounds good to me! This way Iwa-chan gets some time alone with Keiji-san before we come over.” Oikawa winked at Iwaizumi, who was three seconds away from shattering the mug. It was entirely plausible as Iwaizumi had done it before and wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.

“I would have a lot of alone time with my boyfriend, who I haven’t seen for half a year by the way, if you  _ didn’t come over _ .” Iwaizumi grit out. His teeth were clenched so hard Oikawa could hear them grinding from his seat. 

Oikawa waved his hand. “It’ll be like a welcome home party! Don’t you think he’d like it?”

“Uh, no.” 

“I can confirm with Koutarou that Akaashi would enjoy it.” Kuroo interjected and Iwaizumi shot the venomous glare that had been previously saved for Oikawa over to him.

Oikawa’s expression was the opposite of Iwaizumi’s; he was beaming with joy. “See, Iwa-chan! Nothing to worry about.”

Iwaizumi huffed a sigh, head in his hands, heels of his palm pressing deep into his eyes. “Guys, come on, I haven’t seen him in months.”

“That’s why we’re having a party.”

“Oh my god.” 

“I think that Keiji-san will love it if we’re all there to show how much we missed him.” 

“I think you’re wrong.”

“I guess we’ll see!” Oikawa’s voice raised an octave, showing that he wasn’t going to take no for an answer even though he was inviting himself over to Iwaizumi’s apartment. There was a look in his eyes that was almost pleading, showing Iwaizumi how much he needed this. They stared at each for a few moments before Iwaizumi threw his hands up in defeat. Oikawa and Kuroo leaned over their computers to high five each other. 

By the time afternoon rolled around, Oikawa’s pants still weren’t dry and his mind had wandered to the previous evening. He really couldn’t believe that Ushijima had a boyfriend. Well, it wasn’t totally unbelievable; Ushijima was extremely attractive as well as kind, even with a stoic face. Oikawa couldn’t see him as a romantic in reality; his fantasies, however, told another story. Only in his dreams could he see Ushijima in a relationship, being loving and all cuddly under a blanket while they watched documentaries. He grimaced at the thought of Tendou wrapped around him, getting to hear every single sweet word that would only exist in Oikawa’s deepest desires.

Oikawa splashed some cold water on his face. He had excused himself to the bathroom once the thoughts became too much. He was twenty-eight years old, he needed to get it together. This wasn’t high school anymore, he couldn’t act like a pining seventeen year old. Trust when it’s noted that he  _ was  _ a pining seventeen year old. On multiple occasions at that.

“You okay?” Iwaizumi’s voice echoed off the blue-green tiles of the bathroom and Oikawa straightened up, a grin plastered onto his face immediately. Water was still dripping down his face.

“Yup! I am at my best, Iwa-chan!” Oikawa’s voice was strained and Iwaizumi didn’t even have to try and figure out he was lying. Oikawa grabbed some paper towels to hide the grin sliding off his face.

Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. “Is this why you wanted to come over tonight?” He had seen right through Oikawa’s facade as usual.

Oikawa shrugged and made his way to the door. “I just wanted to welcome your boyfriend home! I know you probably wouldn’t do a good job of giving him a warm welcome, you’d probably just start crying or-”

“Oikawa.” Iwaizumi placed a hand on Oikawa’s shoulder to stop him from leaving. “You don’t have to keep your emotions in, you know. I’ve been telling you this since we were kids. I’m here to listen, even if I’m an ass sometimes.”

Oikawa stared at the door handle and tried to make his voice sound as cheery as possible. “I know, I know! You don’t have to worry about me! I promise.”

Iwaizumi sighed and let his hand fall off of his shoulder after giving it a squeeze. “Fine. I guess you’ll just tell me tonight, right? Since that’s why you wanted to come over?”

Oikawa opened the door. “Right.” He let himself out, leaving Iwaizumi standing there. What was the difference in talking about it now rather than later tonight? There was no difference; Oikawa was just being a baby as always. He needed to get himself together but the jealousy coursing through his veins and running him ragged prevented him from doing so. 

Oikawa slapped both of his hands on his face and exhaled deeply before making his way back to his desk. Kuroo was giving him a strange look, probably from how sudden he had fled the room earlier, but didn’t say a word. Oikawa was grateful for the silence. 

The remainder of the work day was uneventful and Oikawa went home that evening dragging his feet. He didn’t bother to stop into Shiratori Flowers yet he did glance in as he walked past. Ushijima was standing there alone, sweeping the ground slowly, as he always did. Oikawa forced himself to keeping heading in the direction of his apartment. He didn’t know what to say to Ushijima yet without blurting out his feelings. It was going to have to wait for another day or two.

Oikawa could have gone in, however, since he had time to kill before going to Iwaizumi’s. But he took it as an opportunity to shower and make himself look and smell nice before heading over to the apartment. By the time he got out it was half an hour until eight, which left him with enough time to go buy alcohol and catch the train.

Oikawa was kind of nervous for the little get together. He shouldn’t have been as it was just his close friends, but he was. He was never good with expressing himself, his little episode with Iwaizumi in the bathroom proof. He was worried that they were all going to laugh at him and his feelings. They would bring up his age and how this was all ridiculous. He didn’t really want to go over anymore the more he allowed himself to be in his head but telling Iwaizumi that he wasn’t feeling it was worse than actually showing up. So, he put on a plain blue shirt with a nice cardigan, some tight jeans and his converse and walked out the door.

Forty-five minutes later Iwaizumi was huffing as he opened the door to greet Oikawa. “You invited yourself over and then you show up late? Typical.” Oikawa lifted two inconspicuous black bags with clinking bottles inside.

“It’s called being fashionably-late, Iwa-chan.” 

Iwaizumi sighed once again and stepped aside so Oikawa could step into the apartment. Oikawa gave a little satisfied hum as he toed his shoes off and brought the alcohol to the dining room table. Kuroo and his boyfriend, Bokuto, were both on it in a minute.

“Oikawa! I haven’t seen you in so long!” Bokuto whined, shoulders wilting in his sadness. He slung one muscular arm around Oikawa as he spoke aloud. Bokuto was a strange man with his spiked gray and black hair and wild eyebrows. He was grinning must of the time, but like Oikawa he had problems controlling his emotions. Oikawa always enjoyed Bokuto’s company mostly because he was so high energy and always said something stupid that lightened the mood. However, despite all the dumb remarks, Bokuto was extremely intelligent, having a Master’s degree in some scientific field that Oikawa couldn’t recall.

“I know, it’s been too long Kou-chan!” He squeezed Bokuto to his side, earning a wide grin from the taller man. 

“Tettsun better be treating you right.” Oikawa elbowed him in the side and winked at Kuroo, who was already pouring himself a cup. It was almost like he pulled the solo cups out of thin air. 

“Hey now, I treat Koutarou amazingly.” 

Bokuto boomed with laughter. “He’s the best boyfriend.” 

“Speaking of boyfriends, where is Keiji-san?”

“Shower.” Iwaizumi answered behind him, reaching around him to grab the neck of the bottle for himself.

“And you’re not in there with him, Iwa-chan?” Oikawa shook his head. “That’s a shame.”

Iwaizumi gave him a blank look. “Maybe I would be if you hadn’t invited yourself and these two nuts over.”

Bokuto hooted at the same time Kuroo snorted. “Way to be blunt, Iwaizumi.” Kuroo raised his glass in salute to Iwaizumi. The corner of Iwaizumi’s mouth twitched in amusement.

“Aw, don’t let us stop you!” Oikawa grinned at him. “Go join him!”

“Who is he joining?” A voice came from the direction of the hallway and they all turned to see Akaashi in all his glory. He wasn’t naked, but he was dressed in a similar style as Oikawa except his cardigan was replaced with one of Iwaizumi’s flannels.  

Oikawa didn’t have any words for a moment. Every time Akaashi returned and Oikawa saw him after quite some time, his breath was taken away. Akaashi was, well, indescribable in a way. But if Oikawa had to pick he would choose  _ gorgeous  _ and  _ celestial; _ Akaashi was simply perfection. With those black curls and blue eyes surrounded by lashes so thick they almost looked fake. It was no wonder that Iwaizumi fell in love. Of course, Akaashi is more than his beauty and had this dry sense of humor that complimented Iwaizumi’s extremely well.

Once again, Oikawa was jealous of the couples around him. He wanted somebody to be this cute with, somebody that he could wrap his arms around or talk about sexually around his friends. He didn’t know why he was destined to be alone.

He decided to hug Akaashi to distract himself.

“Keiji-san, it’s so nice to see you!”

Akaashi chuckled deeply in his ear and gave him a gentle hug, not squeezing too hard. “It’s good to be home and see all of you.” 

Oikawa whipped around to stick his tongue out at Iwaizumi. “See! I told you he would like seeing all of us rather than just you.”

Iwaizumi just rolled his eyes with a smile on his face. Akaashi had the potential to lift Iwaizumi’s mood in all situations. Oikawa knew that Iwaizumi was at his best when Akaashi was home.

“Now it’s a party, come on!” Kuroo passed cups out to everybody. It felt like he was in college again as Oikawa took the red solo cup from him. “To Akaashi coming home and all of us celebrating!” There was a round of cheers, Bokuto’s being the loudest, as they placed the rims of their cups together and then threw back the shots. The alcohol burned Oikawa’s throat in the best way possible. This is what he needed.

Iwaizumi had ordered take out for everybody and they sat around in the living room chatting as they ate. Oikawa was silent as they listened to Akaashi describe his research with bright blue eyes. It was the most lively Oikawa had ever seen him, as his research was something he was extremely passionate about. Akaashi talking about all the amazing people he met in Haiti and how he really learned a lot while he was there reminded Oikawa of Ushijima’s interest in flowers. Akaashi in a way was speaking like Ushijima, knowing all about the topic and describing it fervently.

Oikawa let out a particularly deep sigh as the florist entered his mind. He wondered what Ushijima was doing in that moment. Did he have a good day? Was Ushijima upset with him because he didn’t stop in before going home? Ushijima had his number but he never bothered to text him. Maybe Oikawa should have been more forward and asked for Ushijima’s-

“Are you finally going to tell us what’s up?” Iwaizumi spoke only to him as he leaned into Oikawa’s side. Akaashi was on Iwaizumi’s left but he was talking with Bokuto and Kuroo and not paying any attention to them.

Oikawa looked at Iwaizumi with fear in his eyes. However, all Iwaizumi did in return was tilt his head in the direction of their friends, indicating that he should address them. Oikawa knew he couldn’t get away with not saying anything now; he was the one who had invited them all over to Iwaizumi’s apartment after all.

“Can I… ask you guys something?” Oikawa asked tentatively, running fingers through his hair.

Four pairs of eyes turned to him expectantly and he almost didn’t say anything else.

“Does this have anything to do with how weird you were being today?” Kuroo asked.

“He was bein’ weird today?” Bokuto formed the words around a mouthful of squid and Akaashi gave him a disgusted look. Bokuto’s big, golden eyes never left Oikawa’s face as he looked at him in concern. 

Oikawa sighed. “I just… I made this friend around two months ago. His name is Ushiw- Ushijima. He works at the flower shop down the road from where we work. I go in there every afternoon to talk with him because he’s really interesting. And I think I’m in love with him.”

Oikawa cast his eyes aside, not wanting to look at them. “But the only problem is, is that he has a boyfriend. Yesterday I went in and there was this guy hanging all over him and I just… I hated it.”

“So you were jealous?” Akaashi spoke up across from him. Oikawa licked his lips. He hated admitting things like that. Oikawa Tooru didn’t get  _ jealous _ …. Until he did.

“Yeah.”

“Does he know how you feel?” Akaashi was staring right at him, eyes boring into his soul. He always made eye contact with somebody when speaking and it was always hard to look away. Not that anybody would want to look away from Akaashi in the first place; he was radiant. 

“Why would I tell him how I feel when he has a boyfriend?” Oikawa snapped. 

Iwaizumi put his hand on his shoulder much like he had earlier in the bathroom. “Relax.”

Oikawa sagged under his touch and placed his face in his hands. “I’m not going to tell him that I love him, that’s fucked up. I’d be putting him in a ‘choose him or choose me’ situation then.”

“I don’t think you would be.” Akaashi continued, ignoring Oikawa’s outburst. 

“You don’t?”

“You shouldn’t have to keep your feelings bottled up inside of you. Are you sure he was dating this man you saw him with?”

Oikawa scowled. “ _ Tendou  _ was hanging all over him. I’m barely allowed to touch Ushijima without him jumping away from me so they’re definitely close.”

“They could be like how Kou and I were before we started going out.” Kuroo interjected, throwing his arm around Bokuto’s waist and placing a sloppy kiss on his cheek.

A goofy grin appeared on Bokuto’s face. “Yeah, everybody thought we were dating before we figured it out. But we got it, right babe?”

“Right babe.”

Oikawa scowled, “Well whatever it is, I can’t say anything now.” 

“Oikawa-san.” Akaashi lowered his voice an octave and it immediately made Oikawa sit up straight. Even though Akaashi was the youngest man in the room he had the ability to command their attention with just one word. Oikawa thought it was some kind of superpower.

Akaashi looked at him with a deadpan stare. “You deserve to be happy. In all the years I have known you, I cannot recall you having such strong feelings for somebody so quickly and so intensely that you look distressed talking about it with us. Normally you are open and obnoxious when telling us about your sexual endeavors.”

Oikawa pouted. “Hey, I’m not obnoxious.”

“You bragged about sucking a guys dick in the bathroom of a McDonald's for like two weeks dude. I thought Sawamura was going to fire you because you talked about it so much  _ at work  _ and to him.” Kuroo snickered. Oikawa glared but Kuroo didn’t let up.

“He’s not just some guy I want to fuck though, Keiji-san.” Akaashi’s comments finally clicked in Oikawa’s head. “I want to  _ be  _ with him. I want to fucking… wake up in the morning next to him! I want him to talk to me about his plants and about anything else that he likes! I want him to take me on dates to gardens or we can plant a fucking garden together. I want to be able to hold his hand or poke him on the arm to get his attention without him jumping away from me. I just… I want him.  _ I want him _ .” 

Oikawa placed his head in his hands. “If I tell him any of this then he might just end up hating me and I don’t want that. Even if we’re not together I still care about him and everything. I don’t want to lose him. But I don’t want to make him uncomfortable either. He doesn’t deserve to have to deal with all my bullshit.”

Oikawa finally lifted his head after inhaling deeply to meet Akaashi’s eyes. He did not meet a friendly stare. Instead, he met a gaze that was mildly annoyed and half done with Oikawa’s shit. Oikawa paled. Bokuto and Kuroo were even silent and were looking anywhere but at the table. Iwaizumi was the only one unfazed by these looks. Dating somebody for so long allowed him to be immune. 

“I don’t appreciate you coming into my home and throwing yourself a pity party.” Akaashi began and Iwaizumi breathed out a low whistled. “This Ushijima-san sounds like a wonderful man who will understand where you’re coming from. You deserve to be happy, like I’ve said, and this may be your shot. You certainly haven’t allowed yourself anything like this before.”

Oikawa opened his mouth to retort but Akaashi’s blue eyes narrowed to slits. Oikawa clamped his mouth shut with an audible click of his teeth.

“You cannot go around feeling sorry for yourself and then putting it onto everybody else. You are twenty-eight years old, Oikawa. You need to start acting like it and go after what you want, just as you have done with everything else in your life. You couldn’t have gotten this far without your determination. Apply some of it to your love life now.”

“I know.”

“I don’t think you do.” Akaashi’s tone was as cool as ice and Oikawa was feeling frigid. “If you did, you would do it.”

“I will.”

“You will?”

“Yeah, I’ll tell him tomorrow.”

Akaashi raised an eyebrow. “You’re going to tell him how you feel about him tomorrow. Are you sure?”

Oikawa adjusted his shirt. Was he? Would he chicken out? He wasn’t usually one to back down from a challenge. However, this one affected him directly and he didn’t want to put himself through the consequences of being rejected by quite possibly the first person he’s ever been truly in love with. 

“You make good points, Keiji-san.” Oikawa answered instead.

He could tell that Akaashi was withholding from rolling his eyes. “I just hope you actually take my advice.”

“Don’t worry.” Oikawa cooed as he knocked on his head with his knuckles. “I stored it right up here!”

“It must be the only thing you’ve got up there besides your useless alien knowledge.” Kuroo snickered.

Oikawa gasped. “Excuse you! My alien expertise is not  _ useless _ , thank you very much. And what about all your science shit, Tettsun.”

Kuroo doesn’t even bat an eye. “At least my ‘science shit’ has actual basis and is  _ real _ .”

And that was it for the rest of the night. Oikawa and Kuroo went at it for two more hours, getting drunker and drunker, Bokuto’s howls of laughter getting louder as the night progressed. When Akaashi excused himself for the night that was when Iwaizumi kicked them out. He was a bit tipsy himself, but not tipsy enough to stop caring about his lover’s needs.

“You better get your shit together, Tooru.” Akaashi said as Oikawa packed up to leave. The alcohol had loosened his tongue, all of their tongues really.

Oikawa had a solemn expression as he put his shoes on. “I will. Tomorrow. I promise.”

Akaashi nodded and Iwaizumi showed them out, Kuroo and Bokuto hanging off one another while Oikawa trailed behind. As he watched, his hazy mind desperately desired the kind of relationship they had. Although Ushijima wasn’t the type of guy to be in a goofy relationship like Bokuto and Kuroo, Oikawa still wanted somebody he could be close to. Somebody to hold him up while he was drunk and somebody to be his pillow when he went to sleep. He wanted everything with Ushijima that he had told Akaashi before.

And when Oikawa woke up the next morning? He had a killer hangover, but the desire, the  _ need  _ for Ushijma was still there. With determination set on his face, he decided he was going to tell Ushijima how he felt. He was going to confess, just like a high schooler, at the end of the day.

He just had to get there first. 


	4. edelweiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m jealous! I’m jealous of what you and Tendou-san have! You guys were… just…. I don’t know!”  
> “But why?” Ushijima sounded utterly perplexed and Oikawa slammed his fist onto the table, effectively knocking one of the plants to the ground. The pot shattered and Ushijima looked just as broken as he stared at the plant laying on the flower. This wasn’t a part of Oikawa’s plan. He wasn’t supposed to get angry or let jealousy consume him. Things were progressing too quickly.  
> But, there was nothing he could do about it now. He had already gone too far.

Oikawa entered work that morning ready for the day’s events. What Akaashi had told him really whipped him into shape, even if he didn’t agree with all of it. He needed to get a hold of himself and make himself happy rather than wallowing in self pity as he originally planned. If he got hurt in the process, then that was on him, not anybody else.

“You look oddly determined today.” Kuroo stated as he took his seat across from Oikawa.

Oikawa flashed him a grin. “Yes I do! Today is the day!”

Kuroo’s only response was a raised eyebrow.

“That I tell Ushijima.” The enthusiasm melted from Oikawa’s voice and he fell heavily into his seat. “I don’t know if I can do this, Tettsun.”

Kuroo let out a whistle. “I believe in you, Tooru. It’s not going to go as bad as you think it is.”

“I just don’t want him to hate me, you know?”

“When I confessed to Koutarou I didn’t want him to hate me either. But it just turns out that he felt the same way about me.” Kuroo ran his fingers through his hair and looked at him. “If this Ushijima guy doesn’t return your feelings then it won’t be the end of the world. Take it and learn from it. There’s no reason for you two not to remain friends either if it doesn’t go well.”

Oikawa’s head dropped into his arms that were crossed over his desk, glasses digging uncomfortably into the bridge of his nose. “Yeah…”

Kuroo just snickered and the sound of Kuroo typing on his keyboard indicated that he was getting ready to start his article for the day. Oikawa laid there for a few more minutes, letting his heart rate decrease back into a steady pace before sitting up and stretching his arms over his head. Iwaizumi had entered the room in the time he had been resting and he just gave him a little wave, saying no more.

“What’s up with you?” Iwaizumi gave him a serious look.

Oikawa smiled but it was shaky, nervousness laid deep in his eyes. “Oh, noth-”

“He’s worried about his confession. Shaking in his shoes like a little school girl.” Kuroo took a sip of his coffee, winking at Oikawa.

“Hey!” Oikawa glared and his arms folded over his chest. “I would make a damn good schoolgirl.”

“That’s not what I said but totally, sweetie.” Kuroo waved his hand dismissively and Oikawa stuck his tongue out at him.

“Am I paying you three to be children?” Daichi’s voice came from the door and the three of them scrambled to look as if they were working. They were left under the scrutiny of Daichi’s hard stare for another moment or two before he sauntered off down the hall. The three of them let out all the breaths they were holding deep in their lungs.

The rest of the day was uneventful due to none of the workers wanting to disappoint Daichi. They were mostly silent in the room aside from asking if a sentence they wrote was grammatically correct. There was no horsing around, no berating, no nothing. Just work. Eventually Kuroo left in order to travel for interviews and photos. He wished Oikawa good luck on his way out.

The quietness of the room allowed Oikawa to reflect on future events, namely, his confession to Ushijima. He had no clue how he was supposed to go about it. There was no way he could just blurt it out; that would be uncomfortable for both of them. Oikawa was just going to have to ease into it. He sat devising a plan for the entirety of his lunch hour and when he came up with something plausible, he allowed himself to relax. _This would have to do_.

Time blurred all around Oikawa and by the time it reached six that evening, he had no idea how time flew by so quickly. He gathered his things and saluted to Iwaizumi, not saying a word as he spun on his heel to leave. It was now or never.

Everything seemed to be going in slow motion as Oikawa made his way to Shiratori Flowers. Maybe it was him that was sluggish but he felt as if the people around him were moving in molasses. He couldn’t hear anything aside from the rapid pounding of his heart against his ribcage. The vines that had tangled themselves around the organ were starting to rip in anticipation of the heartbreak Oikawa thought he would endure. They were making room for new vines, _tighter_ vines, ready to make him bleed out all the love he held for Ushijima.

The familiar chimes sounded above head as he entered the small flower shop. Nobody was there, save for Ushijima, who was behind the counter counting all the money from the day. Ushijima lifted his head and looked visibly surprised that Oikawa had stepped through the door.

Oikawa swallowed around a scowl. Ushijima had probably been hoping it was Tendou.

“Oikawa-san.” Ushijima said with his next breath.

“Hello, Ushiwaka-chan!” Oikawa put on his best smile and thrust as much cheer into his voice as he could muster. He was almost shouting but he didn’t care; anything to mask the disdain of the current situation he would do.

Ushijima opened his mouth like he was going to say something but Oikawa didn’t give him the chance.

“Hey, can I interview you?” Oikawa refused to get too close, instead circling one of the tables overflowing with a myriad of colorful flower petals.

“Interview… me?” Ushijima questioned.

Oikawa gave him a quick glance. Ushijima was watching closely. It was his turn to avoid his gaze. “Yes. I’m a journalist and I do write ups on local businesses and... stuff. It’s not the most interesting just but I want to do a report on your flower shop. It could bring more revenue to your store.”

Ushijima didn’t answer for some time. Oikawa pulled out his phone in order to take notes, hoping that he could make this believable enough. It was all a part of the plan. He was going to ask Ushijima a series of questions about his shop and then dig into the personal stuff. Then he was going to confess.

“I suppose that would be… fine.”

“Great! So, how long have you had this shop open?” Oikawa was jumping right in to it.

“Five. I was twenty-four.”

“Did you have any help when opening the store?”

“No.”

Oikawa looked over at him and clicked his tongue against his teeth. “None at all?”

Ushijima shook his head when he saw Oikawa looking at him. “No. I did everything on my own.”

“Hm…” It was remarkable, really, managing this store all on his own. He knew Ushijima was more than capable of doing so.

“So you studied botany in college?”

“I did not, I… I did marketing and business so I could open up this shop.”

“So this was your goal for your whole life?”

“I… yes.” Ushijima fiddled with the buttons on the cash register.

Oikawa coughed lowly. He was getting impatient with himself. “Say, Ushiwaka-chan, do you have somebody special in your life?” He made sure his eyes were on Ushijima when he asked the question. Ushijima turned red and his mouth opened and closed a few times before he replied.

“Is that… vital to the interview?” He looked more nervous than anything. Talking about a significant other was supposed to  make you happy, right?

Oikawa ran his fingers through his hair. “No. But I’m just curious.”

“Ah.”

“You and Tendou-san seemed pretty close. I can only imagine the kind of relationship you have.” Oikawa grit his teeth around a smile. “Just the way you two acted around each other really made me envious, Ushiwaka-chan!”

Ushijima eyed him curiously. “How so?” Was he purposely avoiding Oikawa’s question. The brunette didn’t like that in the slightest.

“You were all over each other! It was adorable and kind of sad, I guess.”

“Sad…?”

Oikawa let out a little laugh and threw his hands into the air. “God, Ushiwaka-chan! You don’t get it!”

Ushijima’s eyebrows furrowed and his hand started tugging at green-brown locks of hair, twirling it around a calloused finger. “I do not understand.”

“I’m jealous! I’m jealous of what you and Tendou-san have! You guys were… just…. I don’t know!”

“But why?” Ushijima sounded utterly perplexed and Oikawa slammed his fist onto the table, effectively knocking one of the plants to the ground. The pot shattered and Ushijima looked just as broken as he stared at the plant laying on the flower. This wasn’t a part of Oikawa’s plan. He wasn’t supposed to get angry or let jealousy consume him. Things were progressing too quickly.

But, there was nothing he could do about it now. He had already gone too far.

“Why? _Why?_ Because I’m in love with you and it hurt me to see you wrapped up in somebody else!”

“In love? With… me?” The thought had probably never occurred to Ushijima. The words sounded foreign coming from his lips.

“I know you have Tendou-san,” Oikawa stated, tears in his eyes. This was not a tear-jerking situation. He tried to force them down but he had no control over the emotions getting the best of him. He continued, “but I want you to know I’m in love with you. It’s probably cruel to tell you that but I just… can’t hold it inside of me anymore. I’ve been in love with you since I met you I think. I just could never tell you and I was going to tell you the other day when Tendou-san was here but I saw… him and I just couldn’t.”

They stared at each other, one pair of green eyes unblinking and another brown pair watering, waterworks threatening to spill over. Oikawa was done. He huffed and stomped his way towards the door like a child. He just wanted to get out of there.

“Wait!” Ushijima’s voice came from behind and he instantly stopped, hand on the handle of the door ready to push it open.

“What?” Oikawa sniffed, rubbing at his eyes. _You’re twenty-eight years old Tooru, get a grip_.

“I…” Ushijima had reached out for Oikawa even though he was still behind the counter. They were both rooted to the spot. Oikawa cocked a hip impatiently.

Ushijima swallowed. “I am not… You have the wrong idea about Satori. He’s…” He cast a glance over at the flower on the floor. “He has helped me through a lot.”

“So?” Oikawa mustered all of his attitude into one word. Ushijima twitched under the heaviness of it.

“He is a very good friend but we are not… lovers like you seem to think. I do not know what gave you that impression.”

“He was all over you!” Oikawa was talking with his hands now, a telltale sign that he was upset. “It was like I wasn’t even there!”

“That is just the way he is and you do not have the right to judge that.”

Oikawa was taken aback. Ushijima had never stood up to him before; there had never been an opportunity to in the first place.

“Um, as for you being in love with me, I… I do not understand.”

Oikawa glared. “You don’t understand? Ushiwaka-chan, you’re one of the best men I’ve ever met in my entire life. I love when you talk about plants, I love that you have something you care about and don’t care to hide it. Sure, you’re a little stoic or robotic at times but I find it extremely endearing. All of you is endearing and I struggle wanting to learn more about you because you just seem uncomfortable about everything! I want you to let me in! That’s what friends are for.”

There was a pregnant pause as Oikawa collected himself and Ushijima let his words sink in. Oikawa was panting from the intensity of his speech. He stood up straighter in order to hold his head high.

“It is hard for me to… to express myself, especially considering I’m… I am autistic.” Oikawa could tell that Ushijima had to force the word from his lips. It looked painful. “I was bullied a lot as a young child…. in my later years of school too. Satori was… _is_ the only friend I have and he would scare away the people would torment me. I am sorry if his presence made you feel uncomfortable.”

Well, now Oikawa felt like shit. He practically forced Ushijima to reveal something he probably hadn’t ever planned on admitting to him. Judging from the look on Ushijima’s face it was clear that the florist was terrified of Oikawa’s reaction to him being autistic.

“I’m sorry.” Oikawa said dumbly. He didn’t know what else to say. He wasn’t put off by the fact that Ushijima was on the autism spectrum; he still loved him. Maybe he loved him a little more since Ushijima was so brave in telling him.

“Sorry?” Ushijima’s eyebrows furrowed.

“I shouldn’t have yelled and I shouldn’t have assumed. I definitely shouldn’t have basically forced you to tell me about your past.” Oikawa exhaled loudly, lips flapping together a bit. “I just wanted you to understand.”

Ushijima made a noise of acknowledgement. Once again Oikawa could see the wheels turning behind his eyes.

“I enjoy your company.” Ushijima finally said. “I do not know what… what love is supposed to feel like, as I have never been in love before. But I… feel something different for you than what I feel towards Satori.”

Oikawa couldn’t help but suck in another breath. “And what does that feel like?”

“I missed you when you did not come in yesterday.” Ushijima stated instead. It was Oikawa’s turn to crinkle his brow in confusion. “It… changed my routine and I did not know what to do. I kept my shop open a little later to see if you would come but you did not. I was unsure if you were going to come back today either.”

Oikawa had missed him, too. He wanted to tell Ushijima so but for some reason his lips were sewn shut.

Ushijima continued. “I watched one of those documentaries you told me about and found it absolutely preposterous. I still do not know how you think aliens exist in our world.” Oikawa snorted at that and quickly covered his mouth, hoping that Ushijima didn’t think he was laughing at him. “I wanted to discuss it with you and wanted to learn more about why you love this universe so much.”

“I like to think the universe brought me to you.” Oikawa could’ve smacked himself for the cheesy line but he just gave a little laugh afterward. His cheeks warmed with a smile.

Ushijima blinked. “That is impossible.”

Oikawa laughed loudly again and walked over to him, Ushijima standing still and rigid. Despite everything he said he was still nervous around Oikawa. Oikawa kept his distance although they were both behind the counter.

“I really like you, Ushiwaka-chan. And it sounds like you like me, too.” Oikawa reached out to take Ushijima’s hands in his and was surprised when Ushijima let him. He laced their fingers together and held them up for Ushijima to see. The florist was marveling at their hands and wiggling his fingers in between Oikawa’s.

“If you’ll let me, I’d like to take you out. You can even pick where we go.” Oikawa continued, not being able to help the smile that crept onto his face watching Ushijima gaze at their hands. Those olive green eyes never left them as he spoke.

“Anywhere?” Ushijima murmured.

Oikawa made an _mhm_ noise in his throat.

“The… Koishikawa Kōrakuen Garden. I have never been but it is very beautiful in pictures.”

Ushijima looked nervous about his request but Oikawa briefly squeezed his hand in reassurance. “I would love to go with you. Is Saturday okay?”

Ushijima nodded and Oikawa let go of his hands, still grinning like a madman.

“Awesome! Do you want to meet in front of here and we can walk to the train station together, or…?”

“Here is fine.” Ushijima was glancing towards the door now, meaning that Oikawa was being told he had to leave.

Oikawa cleared his throat. “Before I go, can you put your number in my phone? Just so I have it.” He shakily handed Ushijima his phone. Why was he still shaking? The hardest part was over now. Ushijima took the phone from him and slowly typed in his number, taking a second for each number. Oikawa fought the urge to giggle.

“Here.” Ushijima shoved his phone into Oikawa’s hand. Oikawa saved the contact before walking from the store. The broken pot caught his eye and he thought he should offer to help clean it up, but one glance back at Ushijima sent him out the door. He would be back tomorrow and the next day, and then he would see him on Saturday. That was plenty of time to apologize for breaking another pot. And to see Ushijima in general.

Oikawa was giddy as he strut down the sidewalk to his apartment complex. He was going on a date with somebody he truly cared about; that was something that he hadn’t been able to say for years now. He’s been on dates in the months before Ushijima but there was no spark and there was always a mediocre fuck afterwards. Ushijima was different. Ushijima was soft, he was more than just somebody to fuck.

Oikawa couldn’t wait to see where this brought him.

* * *

 

Saturday rapidly approached and Oikawa was not prepared for how hard his nerves hit him. In fact, he was panicking.

“I can’t do this, Iwa-chan.” Oikawa shouted across the room an hour before he was supposed to meet Ushijima at Shiratori Flowers. His phone was on speaker and he had clearly woken Iwaizumi up with his phone call.

Iwaizumi grunted. “Isn’t it just like any other time you’ve hung out with him?”

“This is different!” Oikawa whined, slamming his hands onto the mattress. He was only in boxers, frantically trying to figure out what to wear. He had checked the weather approximately twelve times in the past fifteen minutes, making sure all the outfits he chose wear appropriate if it were going to rain or if it were chilly.

“It’s not different.” Iwaizumi sighed.

“I should’ve asked him what his favorite colors were. Then I could wear that colored shirt.” Oikawa was talking to himself mostly at this point.

There was shuffling on the other line and suddenly Akaashi’s voice filtered over the speaker. “Oikawa-san.”

“Keiji-san! Please help me.”

“I would appreciate it if you could call Hajime when we are not sleeping. I’m afraid you are going to have to deal with this predicament on your own. Have a good date.” And then the line clicked, signalling the end of the call. Oikawa knew deep in his bones that Iwaizumi was hooting with laughter.

Oikawa yelled in exasperation before scrambling for his phone. He considered calling Kuroo but Kuroo _and_ Bokuto would laugh at him. Same with Matsukawa and Hanamaki, two friends from high school. He could call Sugawara, the office flirt that was totally sleeping with Daichi. That would just be embarrassing though; Sugawara was a master at dating (and sleeping with people) and Oikawa calling for dating advice? He wouldn’t let the ash blonde hold that over his head.

In the end, Oikawa settled for a navy blue shirt with khakis. He hoped he would be comfortable enough to walk around in this for a couple of hours. But he didn’t really have a choice when he checked the time and saw that if he didn’t leave now he was going to be late. He decided to send a quick text to Ushijima just in case he got worried that Oikawa wouldn’t show up.

Oikawa was convinced he never walked so fast in his life as he made his way to the flower shop. He made it there in less than fifteen minutes, record time, and saw Ushijima standing there looking a bit nervous. One of his hands was in his hair and the other was clenching and unclenching at his side.

“Ushiwaka-chan!” Oikawa called as he approached and Ushijima jumped in surprise. “Sorry I’m late, I couldn’t figure out what to wear.” He stopped right in front of the florist and was glad when Ushijima didn’t step back.

“That’s okay. You… look nice.” Ushijima glanced down to look at what Oikawa was wearing and took it as an opportunity to not have to look Oikawa in the eye.

Oikawa grinned. “Thank you! You do, too!” Ushijima was dressed in a plain black shirt and dark jeans. It was different from the bright white shirt and khaki pants he wore to work. That was all Oikawa had ever seen him in; he definitely liked the change.

“Shall we go? I think the train leaves in ten minutes and it’s not that far of a walk.”

“Oh, um, yes.”

The two walked in silence side by side but it was in no way awkward. Oikawa hummed a bit to himself and got as close as he could to Ushijima without actually touching him. He could feel the heat radiating off the man’s body and found that he enjoyed being close like this.

“Satori apologizes for making you uncomfortable.” Ushijima broke the silence moments later when they were sitting on the train.  It was about a thirty minute train ride from their station to Koishikawa Kōrakuen Garden and then a little bit of a walk afterwards. Neither minded.

Oikawa almost tensed at the sound of Tendou’s name but he knew better. “Is that so?”

Ushijima cleared his throat. “He said that he knew how you… you felt about me just by looking at you and was playing a game. I do not approve of the way he went about it but… he was doing it to… to protect me.”

Oikawa thought for a moment. He guessed that he couldn’t really blame Tendou for being so protective over Ushijima, especially after hearing how he was bullied as a kid. Tendou was his best friend and if they were really doing this, Okawa was going to have to get used to him and his mind games. Oikawa could be civil if he wanted. Iwaizumi would probably disagree, but Oikawa would certainly try.

“It’s no problem! It threw me for a loop but it all worked out in the end, right?” Their eyes met for the first time that day and Oikawa smiled a little wider. Ushijima blushed and looked away.

“I suppose so.”

Oikawa laughed and went back to looking out the train window, enjoying the silence between them. The silence remained as they came into Korakuen Station and made the five to ten minute walk to the garden. In that time however Ushijima had hesitantly reached for his hand, brushing his pinky against Oikawa’s first before tangling their fingers together. Oikawa just gave him a squeeze like the first time they had held hands.

“Do you know anything about the garden, Ushiwaka-chan?” Oikawa asked after they paid the admission fee and were officially able to walk around. Ushijima was staring at all at the fluorescent colors surrounding him. Oikawa’s eyes were on Ushijima though, the most magnificent sight in the entire garden. Ushijima had no idea he was being marveled. Oikawa wanted to keep it that way.

“It is one of the oldest gardens in Japan,” Ushijima explained as they began to walk hand and hand. Every tree was a new color. It was magnificent. “It was for the ruling Tokugawa family in the Edo period. The garden is named for a poem that describes a ruler putting the happiness of his people before his own. It is quite beautiful.”

“Wow.” Oikawa said softly and smiled up at him. “Ushiwaka, you’re so smart, you know that?”

Ushijima blushed. “I- well, um….”

Oikawa laughed and swung their hands a bit, searching Ushijima’s face for discomfort. He found none so he continued to swing them gently.

“You… You said you were a journalist?” Ushijima asked slowly.

“Mhm! For about five years now! I work with my best friend and another friend of mine.”

“Hm.”

Oikawa knew it was hard for Ushijima to ask things. Perhaps it was better to keep talking.

“I really do want to write that article about you some time. I haven’t really gotten a story in a couple months. Dai-chan has just made me do editing on other people’s articles. It’s some form of punishment, I swear.” Oikawa shook his head.

“Do you give everybody a nickname?”

Oikawa blinked up at him. “What? Oh… Yeah, yeah I do.” He snorted in laughter. “Do you not like it?”

“I’ve never been called Ushiwaka before.” Ushijima mumbled.

“But do you like it?” Oikawa pressed.

“If… If it’s only you calling me that, then… yes.” Ushijima decided with a firm nod of his head a deep press of eyebrows, but only for a moment.

“Good!”

They continued walking throughout the garden. It was truly beautiful. Ushijima would stop Oikawa in the middle of the sentence to wander away to check out a different flower. Oikawa didn’t mind. He would pick right up in explaining the editing process, how he would agonize for hours on correct grammar and spelling and wording. He hated it but he also loved it. He found it relaxing to just sit and reword and rework over and over again. He could tell that Ushijima was hanging onto his every word as he spoke, looking from his face to their sweaty hands clasped together.

It was about an hour or so into their date when things went mildly disastrous.

“Did you always want-” Ushijima grunted in surprise as somebody knocked into him as they were walking, causing him to knock rough into Oikawa. He froze in the spot, having a hard grip on Oikawa’s hand. It was almost too tight.

“Shit, sorry man.” The guy who had bumped into Ushijima said in passing. The girl beside him was snickering and the couple went about their day, disappearing down the path.,

“Ushiwaka?” Oikawa asked softly, thumb stroking against the back of Ushijima’s hand. He knew that Ushijima didn’t like to be touched by people he didn’t trust or know, and to be bumped into so suddenly? That was definitely not a good combination. By the way Ushijima was barely breathing, Oikawa could tell that he was most likely panicking inside his head.

“Why don’t we sit down over there, okay?” Oikawa asked. He tried to keep his tone neutral to not show the own panic in his voice. He tried to recall everything Iwaizumi would say to him when he had panic attacks before and after games in high school. It was kind of difficult, considering his hearing had shut out during those times.

Oikawa led Ushijima over to a bench and sat them both down. Ushijima was blinking rapidly and staring at Oikawa but not really seeing him. Oikawa kept a smile on his face. “Hey, it’s okay. They’re gone now. Let’s try breathing in and out, alright? Like this.” Oikawa sucked in a breath and then released it, looking at Ushijima expectantly. He almost sighed in relief when Ushijima had heard him and repeated the motion back to him.

“Good.” Oikawa kept his thumb stroking against Ushijima’s as they breathed together, long enough for Ushijima’s eyes to stop fluttering and for color to return to his face. Oikawa waited until Ushijima shut his eyes and let his breathing even out before asking him if he’s alright. His thumb never stops moving.

“I am sorry.” Ushijima replied shakily.

“Why?”

“I… ruined the date.” Ushijima muttered dejectedly.

Oikawa lifted Ushijima’s head up with only one finger under his chin so their eyes met. “You didn’t ruin anything. I’m still here and I’m not going anywhere. Not unless you tell me to. Do you want to leave?”

“N… No.” Ushijima shook his head.

Oikawa clapped their hands together. “Good! Shall we sit for a while or do you want to keep walking?”

“Can we sit for a little longer?”

“Of course.”

Oikawa squeezed his hand, never letting go. Ushijima was still gripping onto him for dear life.

“I want to show you the waterfall.” Ushijima broke the silence moments later.

“I thought you’ve never been here before?” Oikawa teased.

Ushijima smiled sheepishly. Oikawa’s breath got stuck in his throat. He had made Ushijima smile, finally. It’s all he had wanted and now that he finally got it, he didn’t want to let the sight go. He was beautiful.

“I have done my research.” Ushijima said and stood, tugging Oikawa with him.

“I believe you.” Oikawa chuckled and trailed a little behind the florist, watching the way his broad shoulders moved as they practically glided to their destination. Ushijima didn’t even bother to stop and assess the other flowers; he was only thinking of the waterfall now. Oikawa just let him lead the way.

It was quite a ways through the park to get to the waterfall but Oikawa’s breath was taken away when he saw it. It wasn’t large by any means but it’s surroundings were almost a rainbow a fluorescent buds blooming into the open air. Any color imaginable could be found.

“Wow.” Oikawa said again. It was so so beautiful. Never before had nature been so beautiful.

“Do you like it?” Ushijima asked.

“I love it.” Oikawa looked up at him. He was absolutely not tongue-tied right now. “I love you.”

Ushijima was almost as red as some of the petals surrounding them. “I-I…. um….”

“You don’t have to say it. I know.” Oikawa pat his hand softly. Ushijima nodded and then looked at the rushing water. But Oikawa couldn’t stop looking at him. Ushijima was everything. His hair and eyes were as green as the leaves in autumn right before they change. He was broad, his shoulder supporting the weight of a head holding incredible knowledge. His lips were pale yet always brought into a frown. Oikawa couldn’t wait to feel them on his own, if Ushijima would let him.

Oikawa had only known Ushijima for two months but he didn’t care. Love at first sight existed. True love existed. Oikawa saw it with Bokuto and Kuroo. He lived it with Iwaizumi and Akaashi. Love was all around him and finally it had taken root in him. The vines had parted, leading the way towards a flower blooming with love.

Ushijima was the scent of blossoming flowers in the spring; he was a new beginning that Oikawa couldn’t wait to explore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading!!! I really loved writing this because I love UshiOi so much and I'm glad I could share this with you all! I hope you enjoyed it, all the comment and kudos have made me super happy!  
> There will be an IwaAka sequel as well as a UshiTen sequel for when they were little kids! Maybe I'll do another side UshiOi story too!  
> Once again, thank you to the amazing [Erin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/creepingrosemary/pseuds/creepingrosemary) for beta'ing for me!  
> And, as always, follow me on [Tumblr](http://novocaine-sea.tumblr.com/) to hear about my future writing endeavors and watch me cry over anime boys!


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